Fate: Shinobi World
by ariados26
Summary: Saber vanished when she destroyed the grail during the 6th and Final Holy Grail War. Returning to the point when she was about to die, the King of Knights was determined to wait for Shirou, even if it took forever. What if, by some twist of fate she and Shirou were reborn into the Shinobi world, as Sakura and Naruto? What if she is the only one who remembers? Naruto/Sakura
1. Chapter 1

Note: I do not own anything(Well, except maybe the storyline of this fanfic). Naruto and Fate/Stay Night are properties of their original writers, and aside from the plot I intend to use, as well as the few add-on ideas, concepts, OCs, etc, that I intend to insert along the way, the characters and mostly everything else belongs to them.

* * *

**_Wave Country, Present Day_**

_SPLASH!_

_CLANG!_

_WHOOOSH!_

_CLANG!_

_CLANG!_

_"Interesting," mused a voice. It was a man of tall stature, with short and rather spiky hair, wielding a decently sized, larger than normal sword, as he continued to parry his opponent's strikes, generating sparks, as metal clashed against metal. "I have fought against and slain countless shinobi, and there were jounin level ones among the list... yet I have never met one such as you. Your skill with the blade is truly impressive. It would be a waste to kill one such as you... maybe I should take you with me instead..."_

_"FLATTERY WILL GET YOU KILLED!" shouted a female voice, as the pink-haired girl, who was wielding a sword that was made especially for her by the father of her friend, rushed forward on the water, matching the man who was also known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist in a battle of swords, while two of her teammates, a black-haired boy whose goal in life was to kill his brother, who had killed his entire clan, currently guarding the old bridge builder who hired them, and their Jounin team leader(who was currently trapped in a ball of water which was being maintained by three clones of the spiky-haired man with the sword), watched, the former's mouth open in surprise (It could not be determined if it was the same for the other one since his mask covered his mouth, although his eyes, both his normal one and his red ones, indicated that it might also be the case for him.), at the fact that a thirteen-year old kunoichi was able to go toe to toe with a high level criminal/missing nin, not to mention the fact that she was also releasing a killing intent that matched her opponent's own..._

_The only one who did not seem surprised was a blonde ninja with blue eyes, although he too, was watching in awe, while waiting for an opening he could exploit..._

_Sparks flew in the air, while two huge masses of water shaped like dragons collided, as Haruno Sakura continued to engage the A-Rank missing nin known as the Demon of the Mist, Momoichi Zabusa, in a battle of technique and swordsmanship..._

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: THE BEGINNING**

**Hidden Leaf Village, A Few Years Earlier**

(Naruto POV)

"DEMON!"

"MONSTER!"

"It should exiled from the village..."

"No that would not be enough... it should be executed..."

A blonde boy, about five years old, was being beaten to a pulp by five people, in a secluded area that was surrounded by trees. He was covered in cuts and bruises, as the adults continued their onslaught, beating the poor child mercilessly...

"Tch, it really is a pity," said one of the assailants, scowling, as he kicked the helpless blonde on the stomach. "Sandaime said that we are not allowed to kill you. However..."

At this, a cruel smile appeared on the man's face...

"...he never said we could not beat the crap out of it. As long as it lived, we won't have any problems..."

The blonde boy merely whimpered in pain, unable to escape, unable to do anything to help himself. He wanted to scream, to cry out for help, but did not do so, for he knew that it was useless...

In fact, the child with blue eyes could not understand why they had brought him to a secluded location before beating him up in the first place. Even at a young age, he thought that it would not be necessary. The people of Konoha hated him, and in fact, it would have made people happier if he was mugged publicly, and would definitely cheer on his assailants, if not join them in their entertainment.

It was the same wherever he went. Back at the orphanage, he was hated and bullied by the other children. To make matters worse, the kind-faced woman who was in charge of said orphanage encouraged the other children to keep up the good work, and from time to time, would slap and kick the poor blonde for every little fault she could see, though most of the time he had not done anything wrong at all, yet he was also blamed. He was always the one at fault...

After a while, the blonde was kicked out of the orphanage, and was forced to live alone, in an apartment, but things hardly improved for him. While no one tried to break into his room, there was plenty of vandalism painted on the outside wall...

**DIE DEMON!**

**YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!**

**GO AWAY!**

**MONSTER!**

It was the same. No matter what he did, not matter where he went, everyone shunned him. Everyone hated him. He was despised. He was loathed. The blonde-haired boy did not know why, but the people in his village called him a demon, and for whatever reason he could not understand, they hated him...

Many times, the blonde wished that he could just die, to put an end to his miserable existence. And yet, for some reason, no matter how many times people inflict pain upon him, he always survived. For some reason, even if he was badly beaten, most of his injuries would be gone the next day, and the blonde hated this fact. He wanted to kill himself, but found that he couldn't, for while he no longer feared death (perhaps just little), there was a part of him that prevented him from committing suicide.

For he did not want to be hated. He wanted to be known, to be respected, to be recognized. For even though he did not fully comprehend the reason why, he understood that the people of the Hidden Leaf Village blamed him for some tragic event, whatever it was.

True, part of him wished he were dead, but the other more dominant part was preventing him from killing himself, for it held on to the belief, the hope, to his one true wish, that there was someone out there who would love and accept him...

Sadness...despair...anger...sorrow...hate... Such were the emotions that were felt by the child with blonde hair named Uzumaki Naruto. Yes, he was struggling with himself, he wanted to keep believing, yet he was now losing hope...

The blonde looked listlessly at his assailants, his eyes open yet unseeing, as they continued pummelling him. Yet, to him, it no longer mattered, his senses numbed. He was used to the pain, to this kind of treatment.

_Everyone hates me..._

_Everyone loathes me..._

_Everyone despised me..._

_No one would love me..._

_No one would accept me..._

_No one would care for me..._

The blonde, pondering on these thoughts, closed his eyes, and was about to pass out, about to welcome the peaceful darkness that comes along with it, when...

"?!"

"AAARGH!"

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"MY EYES! IT STINGS!"

"I CAN'T SEE!"

The blonde opened his eyes, and was stunned, as he saw his assailants wandering about aimlessly, their hands held over their eyes, apparently unable to open them, one of them tripping on a root and falling face-first on the dusty ground...

Before he could comprehend what was happening however, the pain and injuries began taking their toll, and thus, the blonde, weary, beaten, and exhausted, was unable to remain conscious...

The last thing he saw, before passing out, was a pair of green eyes, on a face that was looking at him, not with hate and loathing, but with concern and worry...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

_I am the bone of my sword..._

He was standing in the middle of a wide hill. It was a barren land. No trees, no grass, no birds, animals. Not a single trace of life could be seen, not even weeds. All that was there...

Were blades... swords, spears, kunai, falchion, so many of them in fact, that it would have been impossible to count, scattered about the desolate wasteland that was devoid of life...

In the far distance, on the sky, were gears, turning in perpetual motion, as smoke came from the machination, which partly blocked view of the horizon where it was situated. The sun was not visible, undoubtedly hidden by the white clouds in the heavens, a metallic breeze continuously felt in the area...

Suddenly, the sky, which was blue in colour, began turning orange, as a grumbling sound could be heard, yet the blonde could not tell from which direction it came from, as if the source was there, yet at the same was not there, as if it were part, and at the same time was part, of the world...

The blonde child could not help but feel terrified as he looked up towards the heavens. He began shivering, trembling, for the sky now completely orange, as a pair terrifying red eyes appeared on it...

He wanted to flee, to run, to get away... Yet, he stood frozen, unable to move, as the pressure from whatever it was kept him rooted on the spot... He was shaking, trembling, unable to overcome the feeling of dread and power that emanated from the creature (although he was not sure exactly what it was, seeing as all he could were its eyes), an aura so frightening, that he could not even scream in terror. But then...

As suddenly as it had come, it vanished, as the scene changed...

He was now standing on another hill, similar, yet far different, from the one he was previously on...

For unlike the previous one, there were no swords scattered everywhere. Trees could be seen in the distance, the ground completely carpeted with grass...

The blonde boy could help but feel a sense of comfort and familiarity, as the fresh, welcoming, gentle breeze slightly swayed the grasses... But what caught the boy's attention the most however, was not this fact, but something else...

For in front of him, stood a girl. A beautiful girl, with blonde hair and green eyes, looking straight at him. She wore a gentle smile on her face, and yet...

She was crying. Tears were flowing down her eyes, as she continued staring at him...

To the boy, the girl was a stranger, and yet she seemed so...familiar...

Suddenly the whole area engulfed in a white light, as the boy who went by the name Uzumaki Naruto opened his eyes, only to find himself staring at another pair of green eyes, which were strikingly identical to the one that was worn by the petite blonde girl he just saw...

"So you're finally awake," said a female voice.

The blonde boy was left speechless, and could do nothing but stare, unsure if he was already awake or if he was still asleep, as he recognized the pinkette, who moved closer to him until her face was only inches away from his own, which, as he now realized for some reason he could not understand, was strikingly similar to the one worn by the girl in that dream.

After a while, the Uzumaki found his voice again, and uttered, in a weak voice, the first word that came to his still disoriented mind...

"Haruno-san?"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, this is the introductory chapter for my first Naruto-Fate/Stay Night Crossover. Now, for all those who are currently reading other fic, A New Fate, I am sorry to say that I am currently at a writer's block for that story, so my updates for it will be slower than before, not to mention the fact that aside from the numerous other important things I have to do, I will be focusing more on this one, although I will at least try and update it once every two weeks, while this one... well, I'll try and update it at least once a week.

Truth be told, the reason why I started on this particular fic was due to the fact that when I rummaged in my old bags, I found some pieces of paper which contained some of the crossovers I've written in the past, and boy was I happy to see them. Yes, it's true that they were roughly made and most of it was gone, but then I found this particular fic. The plot and the flow of this one will be different from the one I found, but the pairing, crossover style and main concept will be just about the same, with a few tweaks...

As I think you should know, while I am a Naruto fan, I am among the people who hate a certain pink-haired ninja who goes by the name Haruno Sakura. Yes, I hate her, I absolutely hate her. However, I got an idea from my previous write-up. What if said pinkette was actually... well, I will not mention it here since you'll just find out by reading this story as it flows...

And if you have any comments, suggestions, ideas, please do review, even if they are negative comments, so long as they are constructive criticism. It would be much appreciated...

And yeah, and for a bit more information on the character I intend to use here, I would recommend reading Chapter 50 of my other crossover, "A New Fate."

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy reading my stories...

Later then, people...


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: THE BOY, THE GIRL, AND THE FOX**

(Naruto POV)

"I'm glad you're all right," said the female voice, as she moved away from the blonde, and started walking towards the door.

So far, it had been, as far as the blonde boy was concerned, the strangest day of his life. Not that he was complaining about it, by the way...

As he tried to move, the blonde's eyes slightly widened, as he noticed that his body was wrapped in bandages.

Now that he was fully awake, Naruto got into a sitting position and began to scan his surroundings...

He was currently on a bed in an unfamiliar room, which he could only guess belonged to the girl, meaning that he was probably at her house, the walls of the room painted in a white and blue theme. On one corner of the room were bookshelves, with the books arranged in an orderly manner, while on the corner was a closet and a drawer, which the blonde guess housed the girl's clothing. But what got his attention the most, however, was something else.

Despite his young age, even though Naruto had never been into a girl's room before, he could tell that he was not in the room of the a typical female. As far as the memories of his exploits go, girls would usually have large pictures or posters of the guy they have a crush on or the girl whose figure was their ideal and wanted to copy, as was common in all the female-run shops in Konoha that Naruto tried to enter (and cruelly thrown out from). However, such things could not be found in said room.

After a while the girl returned...

"Here," said the pinkette, as she carefully placed a silver tray (On it was a plate a large loaf of bread, and a bowl of chicken soup), on the low table that was by the bedside, as she herself sat down, and began watching the blonde intently. "You must be hungry..."

In truth, the blonde boy named Uzumaki Naruto was indeed starving. While it was true that due to the arrangements made for him by the Sandaime Hokage, who picked him up personally, said person being the only person in Konoha (as far as the blonde could tell, though he was not thoroughly convinced) who did not seem to hate Naruto, he was not given any money, and the only food that was provided for him were cup noodles. In this aspect, the orphanage was still a little better, as Naruto was able to steal food from the fridge or from the table (more than the meagre rations he was allowed to have by the one in charge, which were just a bit better than dog food, barely fit for a human being.) when no one was looking, although it did earn him a beating when he was caught (not that it was relevant as everyone was always picking on him.). The blonde, who had nothing to eat except for noodles for two years, actually wanted to take up the offer. However...

All he could do was stare, and remained silent. For he was not used to the kind of treatment that the girl was giving him. Having faced countless horrible experiences despite his young age, the young Uzumaki could not help but be suspicious of such an action, and was sure that there was an ulterior motive behind it...

"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're worried about," said the girl after a while with a sigh. As if to prove her point, the girl the girl took a bit from the piece of bread and ate it, then picked up the bowl and drank some of the chicken broth, smiling gently as she placed it back on the tray. "See? Now eat... I know you're starving... Hunger is the enemy..."

Still, despite the fact that he was now sure that the food was definitely not poisoned, he still could not bring himself to move, still comprehending his current predicament with disbelief. The blonde knew that he should be thankful. Having gotten a grasp of the situation, the Uzumaki was now able to put two and two together. There was no doubt about it. The pinkette, who he knew as Haruno, was the one who saved him from the people who ganged up on him. However...

... the blonde could not understand why she would do something like this...

True, Naruto knew her by name. She was Haruno, Sakura, the daughter of Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno. However, the reason why Naruto knew who she was, was due to...

_"GET AWAY FROM MY CHILD, YOU MONSTER!" screamed a woman's voice._

It was an unpleasant experience, though to the blonde, it was just part of his typical, normal, everyday life, having experiences even much worse before, countless number of times. At the time, Naruto was exhausted, having just gotten away from his pursuers. Thinking he was safe, the blonde sat down on a bench in a park. As coincidence would have it, a certain pinkette was currently sleeping on said bench. To add to his misfortune, when the girl's mother arrived, her(Haruno Sakura's) head had curled up on his lap (and the mother arrived just in time to see her daughter snuggling up to the demon in her sleep) and it ended with Naruto getting one hell of a beating, as usual. During the pummelling, the blonde discovered the girl's and the parents' name, from the conversation which the civilians were having while they were beating him to a pulp.

The people of Konoha hated Naruto, and that included the young ones who are the same age as him, for the parents' hatred for him was taught and transferred to their children...

And that made his current situation even more bizarre. Having had an unpleasant up-close, run-in with the girl and her mother, Haruno Sakura's hatred for him should actually be greater than those of the others. And yet...

There was none. Not a single trace of hostility could be felt. Perhaps the girl was already training to become a shinobi and hiding her true intent? Being a ninja, after all, is all about deception...

For him, it was confusing. His mind was telling him that the show of kindness was definitely fake, a facade, an illusion, so that he would let his guard down.

And yet, his heart was telling otherwise, that he was wrong, that the girl was truly worried about him, and concerned for his well being. Such an instance has never happened before, not even with the Third Hokage, who he was still cautious of, despite the fact that the old man had never tried to hurt him...

Being in the conflicted state he was in at the moment, the blonde was unable to stop himself. He wanted to say 'thank you'. Instead...

"Why?"asked the blonde in wonder, as he stared the pinkette straight in the eyes...

He couldn't help it. While he was indeed grateful for all that the girl had done for her up to this point, as well as the fact that he was somehow at ease with her presence, the blonde just couldn't understand how it was even possible. Everyone the Hidden Leaf Village hated him, and Naruto was sure that they would have liked nothing less than to have him dead...

Instead of answering his question however...

Despite his reflexes, enhanced by the fact that he was pursued by the people of Konoha on a daily basis, the blonde, taken by surprise, was unable to dodge the pinkette, as she moved forward and locked him...

In a tight embrace...

"?!"

The young Uzumaki, instead of sating his curiosity, was even more puzzled than before, feeling both panic and confusion at the same time. For a moment, the blonde thought of struggling and breaking loose, thinking that it was part of the girl's plan, whatever scheme it was that she had in store for him. But then...

"Haruno-san?"

All thought of escaping left Naruto, for he could not help but feel that the girl did not intend to do him any harm.

"You," muttered the pinkette. "Do you realize how much trouble you've caused me? I've been waiting for you for a long time... and yet... you never came..."

The blonde was once again puzzled by Haruno's words. Based from the words that were said, the girl was blaming Naruto for whatever it was that she meant. Perhaps she got into trouble with the townspeople, or was punished by her parents for consorting with the 'demon?' But the strange thing was, contrary to her statement, there was neither anger nor hatred in her voice. Instead, it was a mixture of joy and sadness, and this made the Uzumaki even more confused.

Still, all of these questions that were rotating inside the boy's head were pushed to a corner of his mind and not paid much attention...

For the pinkette, as Naruto was now certain of, did not hate him, and was genuinely worried about him, and as the girl continued her tight but gentle embrace, the child, for the first time in his entire life, felt that he was in a bliss, as a warm feeling enveloped his body, mind and soul...

**-BREAK-**

(Sakura POV)

"Ramen..." muttered a blonde-haired boy in his sleep, as he rolled to one side of the bed.

It was one o'clock in the morning. A girl, with pink hair and green eyes, was currently sitting on the edge of a window, looking up at the clear, moonlit sky, deep in thought...

In truth, the girl was currently in a turmoil of emotions, a mixture of anger, joy, and sadness, and it was taking a lot of effort to keep herself calm and composed.

It had not been a pleasant afternoon. The girl named Haruno Sakura was just returning home with groceries when she saw something that made her blood boil along the way: the blond boy, Uzumaki Naruto, getting bullied and beaten badly.

In truth, Sakura knew about the stories regarding the blonde. She did not know why, but for some reason or another, the young Uzumaki was known as the Demon Brat, and hated by just about everyone in Konoha. Yes, he was disliked, and there were occasions when the pinkette had seen him trying to enter a shop, which always ended up with him being sent away and denied, usually by scaring him off and shooing him away... Even Sakura's parents thought along the same lines...

Yes, there was even one incident in which her mother had been crying in worry, asking her daughter if she was alright. According to Mrs. Haruno, the demon brat tried to abduct Sakura while she was asleep in the park. Yes, her mother was really worried, and told her daughter that it would be best for her to be careful and avoid the blonde at all costs, even promising her that she will make sure the boy was punished.

And now that Sakura had seen it with her own eyes, despite her young age, she knew that she could not ignore it, could not allow such an injustice to continue. Therefore, the pinkette immediately rushed into action to aid the boy. With a few well aimed pepper balls and kunai, the girl blinded the blonde's attackers, before knocking them out with her bamboo sword, with a painful blow to the head.

At that point in time, Sakura's parents were currently at Tea Country, taking care of business-related matters, and will not be back for four months (which was normal, due to the nature of her parent's business, who were not around for at least 6 months a year, although at different intervals). It was rather fortunate, as it meant that Haruno had the house all to herself. And as the pinkette did not know where the blonde lived, she decided to take her home with her. Her first thought was actually to bring the boy to the hospital, but then, she remembered how the people of the village treated him, not to mention the fact that Sakura recognized two of the blonde's assailant's as doctors at said medicinal facility. Bringing him there will only make matters worse for him.

And so, the small girl carried the boy all the way to her house. It was not easy carrying a person, all things considered, but somehow the pinkette, probably due to her 'daily training routine,' managed it without much problem...

After placing the blonde gently onto a bed, the pinkette immediately examined his body for injuries. To her mild surprise, some of the bruises on his arm were already beginning to fade away, and was frozen for a moment. Still, Sakura thought it would be better to get the wounds cleaned up first to avoid infection. She had just begun wiping the dirt and moot from his arms when...

At first the pinkette was shocked, unable to believe what she was seeing. For the fairly large wound on the blonde's shoulder. She thought that it was impossible, that there was no way for it be real, but there could have been no doubt about what she had seen. For the wound, that was originally bleeding, had been covered and patched up by small, sharp, silvery objects, which formed like scales, effectively preventing the wound from bleeding...

Sakura was stunned at what she saw, as she felt her heart skip a beat, but was further shocked when she saw a familiar, red energy begin emanating from the boy...

**_'Hmmm...'_** mused an echoing voice in her(Sakura's) head. **_'It seems like you really do care a lot for the boy. Mind telling me why?'_**

_'That is none of your business.' _replied the girl to the voice with a monotonous thought, although there was a hint of irritation in it, having been disturbed out of her meditation...

**_'On the contrary, the boy is my container, and my container's business is also my business,'_** said the echoing voice in response, in mock irritation, although the tone of its voice gave its amusement away.

The pinkette could not help but frown as she noticed this fact, and glared at empty space. In truth, the girl would have wanted nothing less than grab her bamboo sword and smack the source of her torment in the head or give her a slap in the face, although sadly, that wasn't an option. Therefore she decided that she would just ignore the red-orange furball that was its source, until it grew tired and decided to leave her be...

In truth, the pinkette was glad, and could hardly contain her joy at what she discovered. Yet, at the same time she could not help but feel a great sadness wash over her...

For she was happy... to be reunited with two of the people who were precious in her life...

Yet, she was saddened by the fact, that neither of them remembered her...

One, her dear lover, the one who had defeated the King of Heroes, who promised to come back for her but was unable to, which is why she decided to stop waiting and set out to find him at all costs...

The other, one of her precious friends, who had stood by her and remained by her side to the very end, against the darkness known as Angra Mainyu, All the Evils of the World, sacrificing herself for her sake...

**-BREAK-**

(Kurama POV)

In a certain dark cage, covered by seals, a large, red-orange creature, with nine tails, was currently deep in thought, at the recent events that transpired.

But in truth, the consciousness of said creature was not inside the prison. In fact, while her large body that possessed an overwhelming amount of chakra was inside the seal that was used by the Yondaime to trap her, her mind was actually somewhere else.

For at the moment, the consciousness of the Nine-Tailed Fox, whose real name was Kurama, was currently lying on top of a grassy hill...

Not that she was complaining. In fact, the fox was only too happy for the change of scenery. She had been growing tired and bored inside of the cage, and the only thing she could see aside from her damp and lonely prison were what the boy who was his vessel was seeing... and it was not exactly a pleasant sight.

Yes, it was not pleasant... far from pleasant, in fact. For a very long time, ever since Rikudo Sennin, the Sage of the Six Paths, died, the nine-tailed fox was in grief. She found it hard to get over his death, unable to accept that the one person she truly cared for was no longer in existence...

To pass the time, and more importantly, to be able to ignore the pain, the Nine-tailed Fox wore a mask of pride and arrogance. She scoured the lands to look for powerful opponents, challenging and defeating every single one of them. She even fought against her fellow Bijuu, and was actually responsible for their deaths (Although being forces of nature that keep the balance, when they die, they get reincarnated in a few years or decades, which was actually a short amount of time). Among all the tailed-beasts, she was the only one who had not yet experienced death.

She kept herself isolated, only appearing when she sensed the presence of someone who was worthy to battle (although when there were pests who try hunt her, she would crush them like bugs or eat them alive), and things went on like this for a long, long time...

However, eventually, her arrogance had caught up with her. In one moment of carelessness, the strongest of the Bijuu was captured and controlled by the Madara, and used as a weapon in his fight against the first Hokage (and even worse, said opponent also had the ability to manipulate the kitsune).

Not only that, she had also been sealed, like a powersource of some sort, inside human vessesls, and the Uzumaki clan had found a way to trap the tailed-beasts inside a human host, to turn them into obedient weapons. After all, it was easier to control a human than a powerful beast.

And as time passed by in her forced captivity, the loving sorrow Kurama felt for the Sage was eventually pushed to the furthest corner of her being, as rage and hatred dominated her. Her reason to fight, which was previously just to forget about the pain of losing a loved one, became a simple desire to destroy everything in her path...

It was true that she despised Madara, for managing to control her. However, that was due to the fact that he took advantage of Kurama's hatred, which made her vulnerable and was easily manipulated into attacking Konoha. Even with the Sharingan, it would have been difficult to control her had she been in the right state of mind.

And the nine-tailed fox eventually ended up sealed once again, this time her power cut in half, owing to the fact that the Yondaime and his wife, Kushina (who was Kurama's previous vessel, which the bijuu escaped due to Madara's manipulation), sacrificed themselves to the Shinigami, using all their strength to weaken the bijuu, then sealed her into their(Minato and Kushina's) newborn child, Naruto.

Yes, she hated them. She hated the humans, and cursed their very existence, vowing to destroy them all once she was free...

Yet now, the Nine-Tailed fox felt her rage dissipating, as she continued to lie down and rest on the grassy hill which was...

...the mindscape of a certain pinkette, who went by the name Haruno Sakura.

_Flashback_

**_'Hmmmm...'_**_ growled Kurama in an intimidating tone, as she opened her eyes. __**'Someone has come for a visit... yet you are not my jailor... Who are you?'**_

_As she said these words, the Bijuu released some of her red chakra through the bars of the seal and directed it at the intruder, her hatred bubbling, intending to kill it. But then..._

**_"?!"_**

_A blinding, golden light filled the area momentarily, and Kurama was surprised to see that the chakra she released has dissipated._

**_'Interesting,' _**_mused the nine-tailed Bijuu, as she now saw who the intruder was: a pink-haired girl, who she knew (through sharing her vessel's vision) as Haruno Sakura, steadily walking toward the cage__**. 'It seems that you have some power girl. However... that will not help protect you against ME!'**_

_The Bijuu then got as close to the edge of her prison as the seal would permit, planning to release as much chakra as possible through it to destroy the girl, confident that it would be enough to finish the job. Before she could do so, however..._

_'Kurama?'_

_End of Flashback_

As the nine-tailed fox pondered in her thoughts, she recalled, how the girl with pink hair looked straight into her eyes, without anger or hatred. True, the girl seemed slightly nervous and cautious as she approached the bars of the cage, but the fox noticed that there was a different emotion dominating the pinkette's being...

For the girl had stretched out her hand, through the bars...

...and gently caressed the giant fox's cheek...

To say that Kurama was surprised would be an understatement. In truth, she was shocked beyond words or reason, by so much, in fact, that the huge being actually took a step backward at the action...

At that moment in time, the fury and hatred that the Kyuubi felt was forgotten, as it was replaced by utter confusion and... sadness?

For the female fox could feel it. The pink-haired girl saw her, not as a demon that needs to be destroyed, not as a weapon that can be used as a tool for war and domination...

... but as a long-lost friend and companion...

Kurama could not understand, how there could be a human in existence who thought of the nine-tailed Bijuu as such...

She immediately wanted to ask the pinkette, to demand the reason why, but somehow, Kurama, the great Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, the strongest of the tailed beasts, unmatchable in strength and power, was left utterly speechless...

For in all her long life as a Bijuu, it was the first time, in a very, very long time, since the death of the Sage of the Six Paths, that someone treated her and looked at her in such a manner, and the fox found herself defenceless against it... Kurama actually felt annoyed with herself for thinking that it would have been nice if she had been sealed inside the pinkette instead...

Not that her current host, Uzumaki Naruto, was treating her with contempt. In fact, Kurama was quite certain that the boy did not consciously know of her existence, although if he did know the truth... after all the suffering he had been through because of her... well, that would have been expected... In fact, she somewhat enjoyed watching her host, who she knew was the son of her sealer, suffer...

Not that Kurama had not tried to make her presence known... or rather, destroy the boy's mind and have herself released from her vessel, or at least control him. Her previous hosts had been careful and quite knowledgeable with seals that permanently prevented Kurama's consciousness from having any influence while the vessel enjoyed the use of her red chakra, not to mention the fact that there were people around who maintained and kept the seals in check...

However, that was not the case with the boy. He was an orphan, and the last of the people who were adept at the seal were dead, or at least not around, which meant that she would have had the chance to influence the boy...

Or not...

For some reason, the Kyuubi simply could not penetrate the boy's mind. True, she could feel the emotions he felt, but for some reason, she could not see his thoughts, nor could she transfer or influence him with her rage, for the boy had something unique... which completely blocked her chakra. While the boy may have unconsciously felt her, she had been unable to penetrate into his mind. For the boy had a strange ability, a strange power, similar to a genjutsu, like the Sage of the Six Path's own or Madara's Sharingan, yet different, and it prevented her from having any direct influence...

However, all of these were but trivial to the fox at the moment. True, she did hold a great grudge for Madara (and in effect, all the Uchihas) for trying to manipulate her, but right now, her rage was no longer all-consuming. For the first time in a very, very long time, Kurama... felt somewhat at ease...

True, she still greatly revenge on said doujutsu user, for even attempting to control her, but now that she was in calm state of mind, she could make a plan on how to do so instead for hoping for luck to give her the chance to pounce on Madara. Still, it could wait, as plotting and planning takes time. For at the moment, her priority...

Was the pink-haired girl, Sakura...

The girl was definitely keeping a lot of secrets. True, Kurama does not wish to bring the pinkette any harm (which was rare for her, since the Nine-tailed fox never sided with anyone, and was only ever either neutral or hostile.), but she still wanted to know. Haruno, or Sakura, as she told her to call her by first name, knew a lot of things that no one was supposed to know...

For starters, she knew that Kurama was the fox's real name, something which has been erased through the course of history, not even the first Hokage nor the most powerful Uchiha knew about it. More importantly, for some reason, the girl had a sense of attachment to the fox, which she(Kurama) could not understand, which was really strange.

For as far as Kurama remembered, Rikudo Sennin was the only human she had ever interacted with. She was sure of that...

**_It can't be..._** thought the fox. **_Impossible... Could it be that she is his reincarnation?_**

No, that was out of the question. For starters, the girl had a completely different aura to the sage. True, both of them were human, as well as had a strange air and power about them, but they were still fundamentally different. The fox was sure that she would immediately be able to recognize Rikudo's reincarnation if she met him... And also... not only did the girl seem to know her...

She also seemed to know Kurama's current host... and the fox could sense the feelings the pinkette had for the boy...

Questions... too many questions... yet the fox, despite her supposed vast wisdom and knowledge accumulated through her long, long, life, did not have the answers... Still...

_'I swear, provided that it will not cause your vessel harm, that I will find a way to help you, and free you from this prison...'_

In truth, for a moment, the nine-tailed fox wanted to scoff upon hearing this declaration. The girl, despite her potential, was just that, after all... a young female child. But for some reason, the Bijuu could not help but believe her...

For the girl gave her her word, and as far as Kurama could tell, Sakura was not one to back down on her promises. She was sincere when she made the oath, and in fact, through a method unknown to the fox, the pinkette had actually given her access to her mind, where the fox's consciousness was currently in, relieved from the lonely and depressing place that was the seal... In fact, now that the fox's consciousness was able to go back and forth, it would actually be easier to try and pry more information of the pinkette, perhaps even succeed in controlling her...yet the fox, out of respect for the girl, decided not to...

Kurama decided that for now, it would be best to just sit back, watch, and observe what happens next... After all, she was sure, that...

**_Everything will become clear in due time..._**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright! Another chapter out! Presently, as I've done a bit of reading, the gender of the Bijuu is still ambiguous, so the author of the series Naruto (all credit goes where it is due by the way) could probably be turned it into either male or female, or perhaps left uncertain or N/A (not applicable). Which is why I made my pick for my fic.

Anyway, for the time being, I will be prioritizing my work and schoolwork, so the update time for my fics will also be slackened, lots of paperwork, which for some reason, is one of the major problems in the fanfics I've read (specially Naruto). I wonder why. Maybe it's because the writers are experiencing it in real life like me? Well, i can't be too sure. But enough about that.

For now, like always, I hope enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: UZUMAKI NARUTO**

(Naruto POV)

"You're late," commented a female voice, as a certain blonde, who goes by the name Uzumaki Naruto, entered the training grounds.

"Gomen, Sakura-san," apologized the boy sheepishly, as took out his training paraphernalla from his bag, shuriken, kunai (with blunt edges) and scrolls on basic ninjutsu and taijutsu. "It's just that Teuchi ojii..."

"I understand," the female cut him short, as she unsheathed her sword and got into her fighting stance. "Now, take out your sword. We will begin today's training session with some light exercises..."

The blonde-haired Uzumaki gulped nervously as he shivered from an ominous feeling, reluctantly taking out from his bag the weapon which he preferred above all the others, yet at the same time, dreaded using the most: an edgeless sword **(A/N In other words, a regular metallic sword which serves the same purpose as a bamboo or wooden sword, for training).** Although her voice was calm, judging from the look in Sakura's eyes, it was obvious that she was not pleased with his tardiness, and he could not help but feel that he was about to be punished for it dearly...

"Begin."

Unfortunately, he was right... the fact that the pinkette chose to start their training session with a sword spar instead of projectile(kunai, shuriken, etc.), throwing and evasion exercises, or practicing handseals for ninjutsu, was a giveaway to her true intention. After all, this was not the first time that Naruto somehow ticked off the pinkette, and while she rarely shouted at him, or raised her voice, she always used their training sessions as an outlet for her temper...

And giving him a beat... tough training through kenjutsu lessons was her favourite method...

THUD!

The young Uzumaki groaned in pain, as he fell on the ground flat on his behind.

"Is this really all that you can do? I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed, Naruto," stated the pinkette, as she stood over the blonde, the tip of her edgeless training weapon about two inches from the boy's neck. "As far as I can tell, your sword fighting ability still needs a lot of work. Therefore, we will be spending the next few hours doing exactly that... Now stand, let us resume our training..."

The blonde could feel cold sweat forming on his forehead, as he looked at his friend in the eyes... which presently had a cold, fierce look that was similar to that of a large, angry, tiger.

Realizing the grave danger he was in, the young Uzumaki decided that it was time for him to get away... It would be best to first let the pinkette cool off before facing her again...

**-BREAK-**

(Sakura POV)

"He escaped," muttered a pink-haired girl in annoyance, as she looked at the piece of log in front of her. The girl could not help but feel angry with herself , as she realized that she let her temper get the better of her, and she ended up falling for a simple body switching technique, hook, line and sinker.

It had been four years since Haruno Sakura had first rescued the blonde from his assailants. And in that time, the two of them had bonded and became really close, and were now best friends.

At first, things had been quite awkward, for the six year-old Uzumaki had been rather quiet and normally kept to himself, although Sakura was sure that the boy who was the same age as her was actually in a turmoil of emotions within, and she did not need Kurama telling her about it. Not that that should come as a surprise. With the terrible childhood experience the blonde had to endure, it was to be expected.

As time passed, however, things began to change for the better. True, it was a slow process, but eventually, the blonde managed to get back up on his feet...

And it actually became a bit of a problem for the pinkette when the young Uzumaki had somewhat recovered from his physical and emotional strains. For apparently, the blonde, probably also caused by his unpleasant experiences, gravitated towards a certain hobby, which happens to be...

Pranking...

Sakura knew the reason why the boy had the knack for performing loud and colourfully annoying pranks and stunts, and it was not because he found it fun. No, the reason why he was doing such theatrics was due to...

...the fact that he wanted people to see him in a different light...

Yes, the people of the Hidden Leaf Village in general, hated Uzumaki Naruto. Therefore, as a kind of defensive mechanism, the blonde had begun doing pranks and jokes that were bound to catch a lot of attention...

For what Naruto actually wanted, was for people to see him as someone else, and not as the Demon Brat, as they were so fond of calling him. Sakura was sure that the blonde thought that if people were to see him, not as a demon, but as an attention-seeking prankster kid, it will eventually overshadow the former image, and he will thus be closer to his goal of gaining their acceptance...

Yes, the pinkette understood fully well the reasons behind his actions. However...

That did not mean that she liked his methods...

Naruto loved performing pranks on several of the villagers, especially certain people who had caused him harm in the past, which included the people who beat him up, the children at the orphanage where he used to stay at, and the shop owners who were 'fond' of throwing the blonde out of their stores. However, while Sakura found actions against such hostile entities as acceptable...

... the fact that Naruto made constant attempts at using her as a test subject was not...

She had tried, tried her best, to tolerate the blonde's actions. Eventually, however, she had had enough, when Naruto used some kind of solution to turn the pinkette's hair blonde...

Which is why said pink-haired girl decided that it would be best to (forcibly) change the boy's method into something more productive, and in a way she had been successful...

'_**You're not going after him?' **_rumbled an echoing voice in the pinkette's head, which belonged to a certain kitsune who goes by the name Kurama.

'_No,'_ Sakura sighed, replying mentally to the fox's query. '_Doing so would be an unnecessary waste of time and energy. Besides, I think our little spar was punishment enough.'_

'_**So you say,'**_ replied Kurama. '_**But is that really the reason? Or is it because of that bento which he made specially for you?'**_

Had anyone been looking at the pink-haired girl's face at that moment, it would have noticed the red tinge that appeared on her face...

'_Shut up, fox!'_ growled the pinkette mentally, blushing furiously, (When the blonde boy escaped with the body switching technique, he had actually left behind a lunch box along with the piece of wood, together with a note of apology.).

Kurama did indeed do exactly that, not because she wanted to comply with Sakura's request, but due to the fact that she was laughing heartily, and was thus rendered unable to speak, and the volume of mirth ringing in Sakura's head only increased the moment that the pinkette's stomach growled...

It had not been easy, trying to divert the blonde's attention from pranking to something more significant. The pinkette had tried several ways, like making the Uzumaki focus on studying or shinobi training, which, unfortunately, did not work. While the blonde was really serious with training, he got bored whenever he was made to read books that he believed were not relevant to becoming a shinobi, and when he was bored, that was when he struck. Several times, the blonde managed to escape the pinkette, and wreaked havoc in the village with his theatrics (Which made Sakura irritated, though it was due to the fact the blonde ditched him, as well as the fact that it could get him into trouble, for she actually had no qualms whatsoever with Naruto giving deserving people their just desserts...)

Eventually, however, the blonde found pleasure in two hobbies which can be considered as worthwhile, and cooking was one of them. While Sakura was actually glad about this development, especially since the blonde obviously put more effort when he was cooking for her and not for himself, she was also slightly bitter at the fact that the blonde was now much better than her at it.

Unfortunately, these newfound past-times did not completely curb his pranking tendencies. While his antics were brought down significantly (probably owing to the fact that his two new hobbies ate up some of his time, as well as the fact that he did not like sacrificing his training time for his jokes), he had not given up on it entirely. Only three weeks prior, Naruto was actually chased around the village by two ANBUs for painting the stones faces of the Hokages...

'_**Now that really hit the spot... you're so predictable...'**_ chuckled the fox after she had somewhat recovered her senses, though she was still laughing from her mirth. '_**I know that you excel at hiding your thoughts and emotions, Sakura... but when it comes to Naruto, you're so easy to read, like an open book!'**_

The pinkette, however, had had enough. Realizing that there was no point in arguing with the giant fur ball (not to mention the fact that Sakura was presently too hungry to care), she opened the bento and began eating, ignoring the snide comments and teasing that the kitsune was whispering in her mind...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

"Thanks a lot for your help, De- I mean, Naruto," said the middle-aged man, twitching slightly guiltily at his slip-up, as he switched the channel of his newly-repaired television set.

"No, problem, Oji-chan," replied the blonde, as he waved a hand before heading towards the door to take his leave, not giving the fact that he had almost been called 'Demon,' much thought, for he knew that the man did not feel any contempt towards him, and the slip-up was only due to habit...

"Oba-san?" inquired the young Uzumaki nervously, as he found the doorway blocked by a middle-aged woman...

"Here, child," said the lady kindly, as she handed a basket to the young Uzumaki. "For your trouble..."

"Thanks a lot Oba-san!" shouted the blonde happily, as he saw that it contained an assortment of vegetables, along with a jar of honey...

However, the moment that the kind woman closed the door behind her, the blonde cringed slightly, as he heard her mutter...

"So then, dear..." said the lady, the cheerfulness gone from her voice, replaced by a tone that could chill one's spines, as she addressed her husband...

"Honey," began the man in a pleading voice. "I can explain..."

Not wanting to be in the area when the bomb detonated, the blonde ran from the house as fast as he could, just as the woman began screaming in fury at her husband...

"DRINKING AND GAMBLING AGAIN... DESTROYING THE FURNITURE... LAZY GOOD FOR NOTHING... SECOND TIME THIS WEEK..."

The blonde-haired boy sighed, as he headed in the direction of his apartment... Somehow, despite the fact that the young Uzumaki knew that the man was somehow at fault, he could not help but sympathize with him... for he (Naruto) knew that he would to meet a similar fate, at the hands of his pink-haired friend, having ditched his training, although it was more likely to be in a less-vocal, more physical and psychological, way...

In the time that passed since Naruto met his first and best friend, Haruno Sakura, quite a few changes have occurred in his life...

Before, his life had been in Konoha was a daily torment, as everyone in the village shunned and despised him. Now, however, it was no longer the case...

True, many of the residents of the Hidden Leaf Village still held firm in their belief that Naruto was a demon who had caused death, pain and misery, but this number had now been greatly reduced...

And it was all thanks to Sakura...

For in truth, the young Uzumaki was friendly and helpful by nature. He was someone who was willing to go out of his way to help others, even at his own expense. However... because of the prejudiced way people had viewed him for as long as he could remember, he never got the chance to show what kind of person he truly was...

Thanks to her, he was given the opportunity he needed...

Yes, it was just one simple incident. While Sakura and Naruto were going to the market to buy some groceries (Of course, Naruto knew that the girl's intention was to go 'shopping' more than what was necessary, and undoubtedly planned to use him as a baggage boy.), they passed by an old man who was weeping over his broken music box. The item, while old, definitely held sentimental value to the old man, who had been pleading with the repairman, who merely shook his head, stating that there was nothing her could do. Noticing this, the blonde decided to approach as the repairman left.

Normally, the blonde would have been immediately shooed away or beaten by the old man with his cane. However, as he was rather acquainted to the Harunos, he had restrained himself from doing so upon seeing the pinkette...

And it was indeed the perfect opportunity...

Unknown to everyone before, Naruto had quite the talent for fixing things. In fact, it was the reason why he had a fully functioning refrigerator at his apartment (which was broken and supposedly beyond repair when he was first sent to live there, at the laughter of the ANBU who escorted him there...), not to mention the fact that he was quite good at making simple gadgets (though he originally used his skills to make devices for his pranking conquests.).

After the incident with the old man, however, things truly began to take a turn for the better. Completely forgetting about the fact that he was the 'Demon Brat,' the old man actually went so far as to hug the blonde (with surprising strength from someone of his age), thanking him for fixing the music box, which turned out to be the last precious memento that the man owned to remember his daughter by (who was a ninja who died in a mission). And as they were out on the streets at the time, there was a significant number of civilians who witnessed the event...

It was a slow start, but eventually, more and more people started visiting Naruto, not to paint rude and hurting words on his apartment walls, but to ask for his help to fix a variety of everyday items, like clocks, watches, lamps, bicycles, radios, television sets, etc, and so far, the blonde has succeeded in complying with every single one of the requests (Some of them, who cannot bring the items with them, actually requested house visits). And while he never charged them for his services, it was not as if he did not get anything in return, for they always had a token or two for him, in the form of money, food, scrolls, and the like. He had built quite a reputation for himself, as an all around handyman who can repair various everyday appliances and devices, quickly and effectively...

True, there were still many people in Konoha who remained firm on their hatred and belief that he was a monster (which included the owner of appliance and repair shops, as his actions significantly affected their business negatively, though of course that actually had nothing with him being a demon, but more like a client stealer, which, to businessmen, was worse than any demon), but the number has been sufficiently reduced, and Naruto was now able to walk around freely without much discrimination, for while many were still hell-bent on persecuting him, they can no longer do so in the open, for there were now people who supported him, and were likely to report their actions to the authorities. In the past, the reason why they got away was because most wanted him harmed, while the rest remained passive and simply played the role of spectators, joining the crowd...

And this became possible thanks to his best friend...

Sakura had become a constant visitor at Naruto's apartment, almost to the point that she was already living there. In truth, the young Uzumaki had, at first, tried to make her leave him alone. Even though he was only six years old at the time, the blonde could tell that if she got too involved with him, the people of Konoha, who he knew hated him to the point of wanting to see him dead (and perhaps, even worse than dead), might also treat the girl with same contempt and hatred, for being acquainted with the demon. And the blonde did not want that.

It was a painful decision to make, but he knew it was for the best. For Naruto would rather have Sakura, the only person who had ever been kind to him, hate him, than for him to see her hurt because of him...

_Flashback_

"_GO AWAY!" shouted the blonde as he opened the door, glaring at the pink-haired girl, who had undoubtedly followed him, standing outside of his house (A room on the second floor of an apartment building, where, despite the fact that there were plenty of vacant rooms, he was the only resident)..._

_It had been a few hours since the young Uzumaki had left the Haruno residence. Realizing, despite his young age, the brutally compromising situation he could put the pinkette in by staying around her, the blonde, after leaving a thank-you note, left her place, as he did not want to get her into trouble._

"_No," replied the girl, a determined look on her face._

"_Didn't you hear me?" snarled the young Uzumaki. "I said... GO AWAY!"_

_Knowing that words alone might not suffice, the blonde moved towards her, planning to grab the girl by the arm and drag her away from the apartment..._

_Unfortunately, in his disoriented state, he miscalculated his action, and instead of simply standing an inch from the pinkette, rammed into her, and..._

"_HARUNO-SAN!"_

_Fortunately, the blonde managed to react fast enough, and caught her before she fell off the apartment rails._

_The girl raised her hand, and the young Uzumaki braced himself, expecting to either get punched or slapped, which he knew (and it was such a rare occasion) he deserved, Instead, however..._

"_Why?" _

_For the pinkette, instead of slapping him, had reached for the top of his head, and began moving her hand gently through her hair..._

"_Why?" repeated the blonde, sobbing, as tears began flowing uncontrollably from his eyes. "You should despise me. You should stay away from me. I am a demon, a monster, hated by everyone in this village... You will only get hurt if you continue trying to stay near me."_

"_I don't care," replied the pinkette quietly after a while._

"_BUT I DO," wailed the young Uzumaki as he collapsed to the floor. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME... SO PLEASE... LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

_The pinkette, however, did not comply, and instead knelt down on the floor, and continued patting the blonde on the head..._

_As the blonde continued crying his heart out, he heard the girl whisper in his ear, in a firm and sincere tone..._

"_No, you're not a monster... you're my friend..."_

_End of Flashback_

Somehow, Sakura saw right through him and knew his true intentions, and there was nothing the blonde could do to make her leave him...

Still, while it was true that the young Uzumaki tried his best to push the girl away, deep down, he knew that he did not want to be alone... which was why he could not help but feel an inexpressible joy in his heart when, despite all his efforts and cruel words, the girl did not abandon him. He realized, with complete certainty,that the girl truly wanted to be his friend...

And while he was now no longer an outcast thanks to her, even if he had still remained hated and isolated by everyone, Naruto thought that it would not have mattered much...

For the blonde felt that he would be handle anything the world threw at him...

As long as she was there to support him...

**-BREAK-**

(Sakura POV)

It was seven o'clock in the evening. A girl with pink hair was currently looking up at the ever darkening sky, as the stars began emerging, one by one, waiting for a certain blonde to come home... Her parents were currently away on a business trip, and whenever they were, Sakura usually slept over at the young Uzumaki's apartment.

Haruno Sakura was a good and obedient daughter. She loved her parents, who had raised her with much loving care and kindness...

Being an only child, all of their love and attention was focused toward her. Sadly, when Sakura was five years old, the family's merchandise business had expanded further, and managed to successfully set up three new branches which were at considerable distance from the Hidden Leaf Village, and thus, they had to leave from time to time, and it was normally for at least six months a year, if not more...

Yes, it was not easy, living alone, but somehow, Sakura had convinced her parents that she would be fine by herself. They actually wanted to take her with them, but the mother thought that the harshness of the travel would be too much for her daughter. They had also debated upon hiring a maid or helper, but after a voting was done, it was decided that it would better not to have one (The father was the one who suggested the idea. However, the mother rejected it, for she did not trust anyone with her daughter's well-being, as well as the fact that she completely trusted her daughter. Sakura supported her mother's notion, though it was for a different reason.)...

And the fact that her mother was very protective of her, was the reason why Sakura never told her about her friendship with Naruto...

In truth, Sakura had already told her father about it. Kizashi Haruno was a liberal minded person, and allowed their friendship, although his decision was probably influenced by the fact that the boy had repaired many of his items,(which included a wristwatch which he originally thought was beyond repair), as well as the fact that the boy had given many business-related ideas that may bring in profit (Haruno Merchandising, after all, dealt with trading a variety of products for both shinobi and civilians, and pranking devices and gadgets were among said products...)...

However... the same could not be said about her mother, Mezuki Haruno...

Sakura could never hate her mother for not liking her blonde friend. True, she was prejudiced when it comes to the boy, and there was even a time when she sent people to punish and teach the 'Demon Brat' a lesson, but that was mainly due to the fact that she did not want her daughter to get hurt (Her mother's paranoia and hatred for the boy had been increased ever since she had seen him 'attempt' to 'kidnap' her daughter at the park). Which is why, until such a time that Sakura was sure that her mother would be able to accept the young Uzumaki, the pinkette thought it would be better to keep the information from her...

'_**SAKURA!'**_ growled a voice so suddenly, which nearly made the pinkette fall out of the window...

'_What is it?'_ replied the pinkette mentally in annoyance, at having been brought out of her reverie...

'_**It's Naruto, the idiot got three ninjas with a murderous aura chasing after him... and as far as I can tell, they seriously plan on killing him!'**_

Upon hearing these words, the pink-haired girl felt tense and nervous. This was the first time that she had heard the kitsune sounding really worried, and that wasn't a good sign...

'_Tell me where he is,'_ Sakura inquired of the fox, trying to keep her voice calm despite the fact that she was actually almost in the point of panic inside, as she jumped out of the window before running in the direction Kurama pointed, towards the mountain on which the faces of the Hidden Leaf Villages' great leaders, the Hokage, were carved...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

CRASH

The blonde-haired boy did not even have time to defend himself as he got hit on the chest by a palm strike, and was sent crashing into a boulder...

'_Damn it,'_ thought Naruto through gritted teeth, coughing up blood, as he got up slowly and tried to make the handseals for a body switching technique, only to find that it was not working...

"Don't even bother, brat," stated one of his three assailants, who were wearing white masks, in a smug tone. "I attacked your tenketsu points... you won't be able to use your chakra to perform ninjutsu for a while..."

Shing!

"...not that it matters," stated another voice, as the blonde's three attackers unsheathed their ANBU blades. "Since you are about to die here anyway..."

Things were looking really grim for the young Uzumaki.

He had tried, tried to get away. Realizing that he was being followed by people with hostile intent, Uzumaki Naruto, instead of heading for his apartment, decided to take a detour and headed for the Hokage's office instead.

Unfortunately, it was a useless attempt. His assailants seemed to be aware of every move he was going to make, and thus, managed to lure him to a blind spot on the mountain, where no one would be able to see what was going on...

Realizing that he was cornered and had nowhere to run, the blonde tried fighting back, trying to make an opening to be able to escape... but was quickly subdued and defeated... He knew it was a futile effort, but he had to try nonetheless. But having to face three well-trained ANBU shinobi, it was impossible for him to escape...

The three ninjas were now moving slowly towards him, as if savouring ever moment, seeing the terror and hopelessness on his face...

'_I can't die here,'_ thought Naruto, as he once again tried performing jutsu, knowing it was useless, and it only ended up making his assailants laugh at him...

'_I can't die here!'_ the blonde thought again, as he gritted his teeth and braced himself for the inevitable.

For at this point in time, the blonde had nothing left. He had already used up all his weapons. His chakra points had been compromised and was thus unable to use ninjutsu. And yet...

'_She's waiting for me...'_ thought the young Uzumaki, as the image of her face appeared clearly in his mind._  
_

Even though he knew it was useless, even though he knew there was nothing he could do, still he had to try. There was no way he was giving up. Not now, when he knew that someone would cry if he did... He had not even told her that he loved her yet...

'_**If you can't beat your opponent, then imagine yourself defeating it...'**_

"_?!" _thought the blonde, as he looked around trying to search for the source of the voice, yet found no one else around...

'_**Try and imagine a weapon... something which you can beat your opponent with...'**_

The three ANBU stopped, now just a few feet away from the young Uzumaki...

'_**Your true opponent, is not the adversary standing in front of you...'**_

One of the three masked figures took a few steps forward, and raised his sword...

'_**Your true opponent...'**_

"DIE, DEMON!" cried the man in triumph, as he brought his sword down.

WHOOOSH!

'_**... is your own imagination...'**_

CLANG!

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out.

Now, to answer some of your questions.

Firstly, the Fate/Stay Night route I used in my story is actually not based on canon, not Fate, Unlimited Blade Works or Heaven's Feel. It is actually a Saber route for a 5th Holy Grail War fanfic I plan to write later, and will be different. For more information on the background of said route, I suggest you read Chapter 50 of my Harry Potter and Fate/Stay Night Crossover, "A New Fate."

Secondly, Kurama is not the reincarnation of Rin, nor is she the reincarnation of anyone else for that matter. Just to douse your curiosity a bit, here's another little spoiler: Saber met Kurama during the 6th Holy Grail War, another fanfic which I intend to write. And she met the bijuu as herself. Whether the kitsune was a Master, or a Servant, or someone who joined the War without being either of the following, I will not reveal just yet. However, I will repeat, Saber met the fox as herself.

Thirdly, I do not really intend to follow the canon Naruto story. While there will be a few missions that will do just that, things will divert from the usual 'edit a bit' or 'insert a bit' or 'change the flow a bit' mostly, that much I promise.

Anyway like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: DREAMS AND DILEMNAS**

(Sakura POV)

A certain pink-haired girl was cursing mentally, as she ran as fast as she could towards the Hokage Monument...

The situation at hand was a most perilous one. Naruto, according to Kurama, had been ambushed by three shinobi. To make matters worse, said ninjas, based from the white masks they were wearing, were probably members of the ANBU corps... which meant that they were top brass shinobi, and therefore, the blonde did not stand a chance against them whatsoever...

Normally, it would not have been much of a problem. The blonde, after all, had been chased and caught by ANBU operatives a number of times in the past due to pranking antics. And in each of those times, the blonde ended up in the Hokage's office to face the old man who was the head of the village. For some reason which the pinkette had not yet fully understood, the Sandaime was very protective of the blonde, although discreetly.

The fox actually suggested to the pinkette that it was probably because the blonde was a jinchuriki, her(Kurama's) container, and was too valuable a weapon and asset for the village to lose, although Sakura could tell that there was something more to it, even more than the fact that the strongest of the Bijuu was sealed inside him...

For as far as Sakura could tell in the few times that she had seen the old Hokage look at the blonde (Normally, it was Sakura who went to the Hokage's office to fetch her friend whenever he was caught in his misdeed.), he was actually truly concerned about him. The pinkette could not feel any hatred coming from the man, and in fact, from the way the Sandaime treated Naruto, was similar to the way a man would treat his son or grandson...

And based from what she had overheard from a certain white-masked ninja once, Sarutobi had assigned ANBU ops to guard and watch over Naruto, and had in fact, been given orders to make sure that the blonde was not harmed by anyone. Sadly, most of these ANBU also held a deep grudge against the boy, owing to the fact that the nine-tailed kitsune attacked the village, causing a lot of destruction to life and property, and many of the villagers lost their loved-ones because of it. (Sakura, however, knew the truth, for the kitsune had already explained to her that she was being controlled at the time, although the bijuu had not told the pinkette who it was, nor did the fox elaborate the circumstances which ended with her(Kurama) being sealed inside the blonde by the Yondaime to stop her rampage. Sakura knew there was a lot that the kitsune was not telling, but did not force the issue, knowing that she would probably tell her the rest of the details in due time.). Therefore, whenever the blonde was being persecuted by the villagers, most of them would simply turn a blind eye to it, only moving in to interfere when the blonde was about to be killed, which was a rare scenario, due to the Sandaime's orders (Should the blonde die, whoever was responsible would be executed, along with their relatives.), and there were only two ANBUs who had actually shown concern for the young Uzumaki (Said masked shinobi not only prevented the beating that was about to occur, they also punished severely (physically) the ones who were attempting said attack instead of simply dispersing the crowd, which was done by the other 'guards').

As Sakura had analyzed further, it appeared as if the information regarding Kurama was actually supposed to be top secret, yet for some reason, said information was leaked to the public via rumor, and the Hokage had been powerless to stop it from spreading (Had the secret truly remained secret, and kept from the public, Naruto would not have suffered.)... Not only that, the rumor had a lot of additives and removals, which only increased the villagers' hatred for the boy, for they believed that Naruto, instead of being seen as the hero/sacrifice/jailor who kept the kitsune sealed and harmless (not that Sakura thought that Kurama was a monster), he was seen as the fox itself.

And speaking of Kurama, the kitsune had actually done her best to try and aid the boy who was her container. Unfortunately, the seal placed by the Yondaime was still too strong, and it only allowed a limited amount of red chakra to leak out to her host, just enough to increase the boy's regeneration. The fox had actually tried possessing the boy, for she would have certainly been able to do something about their current predicament, having had hundreds of years of experience in battle, but found herself unsuccessful. For aside from the seal that the Fourth Hokage had placed, the boy had something else, which prevented the fox's entry to his mind, as well as prevented her from taking control of her jinchuuriki's body(Even though she could utilize the boy's vision and senses, seeing and feeling what the blonde did, that was all that the fox could do)... And this barrier has made any form of mind or spiritual connection a near impossibility...

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sakura quickly sent word to the Hokage's office, as well as to the Sandaime's house, by means of two paper bird familiars, praying to the heavens that the Sandaime would read the message in time to send help, while the pinkette herself rushed with all haste to her friend's aid, hoping that she was not too late...

Due to the fact that she could move very swiftly, as well as the fact that the nine-tailed bijuu was her guide, Sakura managed to get to the blonde's location rather quickly...

"AAAARGH!"

Just in time to witness a masked shinobi screaming, as he fell to his knees, before slumping head first onto the ground...

The pinkette could not help but stare in shock at the sight that greeted her eyes... However, what caught Sakura's attention was not the fact her blonde friend managed to take down an elite ninja... It was something else...

For on top of the Hokage monument, was Uzumaki Naruto, standing over the masked ANBU he had just defeated...

...wielding two falchion-like swords, one black, one white, mirror-images of one another...

However...

'_**SAKURA!' **_growled the kitsune in the pinkette's head.

...It was neither the time nor place to pause and think about it. For with a clattering sound, Sakura's friend lost his grip on his swords (which disappeared momentarily, almost like dissolving into thin air), and fell to the ground, unconscious, undoubtedly exhausted from the encounter.

To make matters worse, the fallen ANBU's two companions, who, initially, after seeing their comrade fall, took a few steps backward in shock, cried out in anger, recovering from their initial stupor, and were once again advancing, swords drawn, upon their now defenseless target...

'_NARUTO!' _thought the pinkette.

Cursing herself for allowing herself to get distracted, Sakura began charging toward her friend's assailants, but before she could take more than two steps forward...

BOOM!

A large ball of fire struck the ground inches away from the two white-masked shinobi, effectively stopping them. Had they not halted from advancing, the attack would have made a direct hit... And judging from the fact that a crater was formed where the flaming mass hit, they would have ended up either dead or seriously injured...

The pinkette looked towards the direction from which the attack came from...

And saw an old man, wearing red and white robes and a strangely shaped headwear...

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, had arrived, with a grim look on his face, along with half a dozen ANBU ops...

Realizing that they had been caught and were at a disadvantage, the two perpetrators immediately rushed to pick up their comrade, before letting loose a small a smoke bomb, and when the smoke had finally dissipated, all three shinobi were gone...

"After them," the Sandaime ordered, as the ninja he brought with him nodded, before disappearing, in pursuit of their targets...

Sakura, however, did not give this much heed, for she was too worried about her friend, and immediately rushed to the blonde's side to check his condition...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

_He was standing in the middle of a hill... a desolate, barren land. All around him, were blades, knives and kunai, swords, spears and shuriken, of a wide variety, a countless number of them, littering the entire scenery to its farther reach, while large sets of spinning gears were rotating in the background, blocking out the horizon..._

_It was the same dream... the same, vivid dream, which had been constantly visiting Uzumaki Naruto every night, for as long as he could remember, and he had become used to it..._

_Yet this time, there was something different... for this time, he was not alone..._

_For in front of the young Uzumaki, at the center of the hill, was man with white hair and tanned skin, wearing red and black clothing..._

_The man was kneeling on the ground, and if one were to take a guess, it almost seemed as if he was praying. However, the blonde knew that that could not possibly the case..._

_For the man was dying. He was impaled, impaled, by a number of swords, which the young Uzumaki knew were the white-haired man's own creations, with blood flowing from his wounds..._

_If it was someone else watching the sight, they would not have understood what it all meant. And yet, the blonde understood. Somehow, beyond reason or explanation, the young Uzumaki knew..._

_The man had a simple wish... one that was absolutely selfless. For what he desired..._

_...was to be able to save everyone..._

_And so the man lived his life with that goal in mind, pursuing his ideals..._

_He had fought, he had struggled, he had done everything in his power to make his dream come true..._

_But in the end, he had failed..._

_It was to be expected. The man himself knew deep down that his objective was one that was impossible to achieve. _

_For the ideal of saving everyone was just that... an ideal... and an ideal will never become reality... an ideal will always remain an ideal, a mere fantasy that can never be reached..._

_And yet, despite knowing the truth, the man continued running forward, trying to pursue a wish which he knew could never be granted..._

_If it was not possible for him to save everyone, then he will go for the second best option... to save as many people as he can..._

_He killed one person to save ten..._

_He killed ten people to save a hundred..._

_He killed a hundred to save a thousand..._

_And yet, despite his failure, despite the fact that he was unable to fulfil his wish, at his dying moments, the white-haired man, clad in red, managed a small smile, as he lost whatever strength was left in his arms, finally letting go of the black and white falchions he was holding..._

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

"Hey..."

"Wake up..."

"Naruto..."

"Wake up..."

A certain blonde-haired boy, who went by the name Uzumaki Naruto, could not help but feel annoyed, as he found himself being roughly shaken by a pair of hands. However, he was still too sleepy and exhausted to care or retaliate, and thus decided to simply ignore the action, sure that whoever it was will eventually get tired and give up...

...oh, how wrong he was...

"I said... WAKE UP!"

The blonde's eyes shot wide awake, as the mattress of the bed he lying on was forcefully lifted, hurling him face-first onto the floor...

"Finally," stated a female voice, with a note of irritation...

The young Uzumaki groaned in annoyance, as he realized who it was...

It had been almost two years since that time. Ever since Sakura and Naruto had become friends, the old weapons shop where the pinkette used to buy her shinobi gear had refused selling anything anymore, due to her for the crime of 'fraternizing with the demon'. While it was true that Haruno Merchandising does indeed engage in selling shinobi weaponry, the pinkette confessed she found them to be inferior, no offense to her parents. (The group which made the weapons sold by their company probably tried to lower the production cost, and thus resulted in substandard items, although as of present, they had been replaced by a more competent clan.). And it was during this time, when they were trying to find an alternative weapons store that they met her by coincidence...

_Flashback_

"_Fake," said the blonde boy flatly, as he gave back the set of kunai to the weapon's dealer, to which the pinkette nodded in agreement._

"_What nonsense are you trying to spout there, demon brat?" snarled the man angrily, for they were now getting the attention of the other customers in the shop. "The tools I sell are made from 100% genuine, durable, light-weight, stainless steel! If you don't have the money to buy them then just say so. Now leave, before I..."_

"_They're fake," the young Uzumaki cut him off, as he snatched the bag of weapons he just returned, then setting the weapons, all thirty of them, on the table. _

"_No offense, Oji-san... just like you said, these ones are made of steel," said Naruto, picking out six of the weapons from the bunch, while twirling one in his hands... "but the rest..." continued the young Uzumaki, as he gestured at the rest of the weapons with conviction, "are just plain copper."_

_To prove his point, the blonde took one of the kunai on the table which he declared to be fake, and clashed it with one he said was real, for everyone to see (The people in the shop were now all staring in their direction.)._

_The effect was immediately noticeable. With one collision, the 'fake' steel kunai has been noticeably bent, while the other one remained intact._

"_In other words," said Sakura, as she glared at the shop owner. "Either you did not know they were fake... or else, you were deliberately swindling your customers..."_

"_HOW DARE YOU TRY AND SABOTAGE MY CLEAN AND HONEST BUSINESS!" the shop manager shrieked, undoubtedly angry at being humiliated, throwing a kunai at the pinkette, who quickly dodged out of its way. "OUT! OUT!"_

_However, he was not the only one who was on edge. Naruto, seething with rage at the fact that the man had just tried to harm Sakura, was about to charge forward, but found himself rooted to the spot, for the pinkette held a firm grip on his arm..._

"_Let's go," said the blonde's friend quietly, as she shook her head giving the Naruto the look that he understood as 'Leave him be. He's not worth it.'_

_The young Uzumaki grudgingly left the shop with his friend, shouting insults and profanities at the shopkeeper (knowing full well that it would earn him a whack on the head from Sakura), while swearing inwardly that he would get even, intending to use the worst prank he could think of..._

_The two of them were just about to head home for the day, when they found themselves confronted by a bun-haired girl..._

"_Hmmm... I must say I'm impressed," she began musingly, her dark-brown eyes flashing, as she stared at the blonde with interest. "You were able to tell from a glance that those weapons were no good. How did you do it? You must tell me your secret..."_

_End of Flashback_

And ever since that day, the girl, whose name was Tenten, started following them around, and as time passed by, had become a close friend. As it turned out, she was a 'weapons freak', probably owing to the fact that her family owned a weapon's shop as well, a shop which sells honest to goodness (so long as the price is right), quality shinobi paraphernalia. Sakura even commented, in all honesty, that the weapons they sold were much better than the ones which she bought from her old store, which, in her opinion, were also satisfactory enough. While Naruto never knew, since the owner of said store had barred their entrance before he could even get a glimpse of the weaponry he sold, he could tell that the ones sold by Tenten's family were indeed above standard. The only setback to this was the fact that whenever the girl had free time (when she was not at the Ninja Academy or taking care of her family's shop), she actually became a bit of a bother, especially to Naruto...

Naruto did not know why, but somehow, he was naturally gifted at studying, analyzing, and recognizing the structure and composition of objects around him, and he was especially proficient when it comes to blades. With a single glance, he is able to tell the exact materials weapons, like kunai and shuriken, were made of...

And this particular talent of his got the girl's attention. The bun-haired girl had at first tested her suspicion, by showing the blonde her weapons (which the girl herself had crafted) and asking him questions about it. Naturally, Naruto answered truthfully what he thought, though he never understood why he was able to in the first place. Now, however, a part of him wished that he had not been so honest...

The girl, Tenten, undoubtedly confirming her suspicion, began to hang around more and more with Naruto and Sakura, and while the blonde had no qualms nor complaints with her hanging around them, he found her loudmouthedness, especially when it comes to subjects related to weaponry and becoming a shinobi, hard to tolerate. Even Naruto, who was a very noisy and loudmouthed person himself, found that the girl was at a totally different level . He actually wondered if this was how Sakura, who was a quiet person, felt about this issue of his, and found himself feeling guilty..

Not only that, but aside from the girl, her family had also become very interested in him. Many times, the girl's father would ask Naruto and Sakura (Since they were now the ones supplying Haruno Merchandising with the weapons they sell.) to come with him, usually when he was buying metals and other materials which they used for their weapon crafting trade, having found his ability very useful in the matter, for it prevented any attempt to cheat or swindle them in said transaction. The man even admitted that in all his life, he had never met anyone like the blonde before, and that he(Naruto), was even better than him at discerning metals and materials, which caused the blonde to flush, embarrassed at the fact that he was being praised..

For there were two times wherein Naruto caught an attempt at cheating the craftsman, which Tenten's father, despite his years of experience, as well as his own expert-level 'eye for steel', was unable to detect. And in fact, the man actually told Naruto once that he wished that the blonde was part of their clan, commenting that he would have been an excellent weapon craftsman...

And just a few moments before, that particular man's daughter had just brutally awakened the blonde from his slumber...

"That was mean, Ten-chan!" complained the blonde in an almost snarl, though it was stifled out by a yawn, rubbing his nose as he stood, as he looked at the face of the bun-haired girl. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Bothering you," the girl replied, which made the young Uzumaki to scowl. "Just kidding, I'm here because I was worried. You seem fine now, but last night you were a mess. Mind telling me what happened?"

"What do you m..." began the blonde, but then he froze, as he found himself shaking, as he recalled what happened...

It was as if his mind had taken a rewind, as the events of the previous night began replaying in his mind...

"_DIE, DEMON!"_

Three masked shinobi... the ambush...the chase... the hopelessness and despair...

'_Your true opponent, is your own imagination...'_

... the strange voice in his head...

_CLANG!_

"Did you know that Sakura had to carry you all the way here? And now..."

Upon hearing this, the young Uzumaki was brought out of his reverie, as his worry over his own mortal peril was overshadowed by his concern for his pink-haired friend...

"Where is she?"

"Huh?"

"I said...where is she?!" demanded the blonde, feeling a mixture of dread and panic. The young Uzumaki stared intently at the bun-haired girl, and was just about to attack her in his frenzy and desperation, to force out an answer. when the door of the apartment opened, revealing a pink-haired girl, carrying four bags of groceries...

"SAKURA-CHAN!" cried the blonde, before rushing forward towards the pinkette...

"?"

... wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace...

It was fortunate that the pink-haired girl had already placed all the items she bought on a table...

"Naruto?"

"Thank Kami you're okay," said the young Uzumaki, as he continued to hug his friend, not realizing the fact that a certain bun-haired girl was looking at him in half-amusement, half-irritation... nor did he notice that Sakura's face had become red as a tomato...

**-BREAK-**

(Kurama POV)

It was now ten o'clock in the morning. After a hurried breakfast, the girl, whose name was Tenten, had dragged the blonde with her (after some struggling and protest, for the blonde still felt sore from the injuries he received from the previous night's encounter, although they were healed for the most part), as she needed his help. According to the bun-haired female, her father was too occupied at the moment due to the large number of order for weapons, and therefore, to save time, she would be the one buying the materials required to make said items, and the blonde's unique ability was very useful when it comes to said task. She actually wanted both of her friends to come with her, but the pinkette told them that she too, had a lot of things to do, and therefore opted to remain behind (This was actually the reason for the young Uzumaki's protests, as he probably did not want to experience Ten-chan's yapping, alone and at full force.).

'_**You know much more than you are letting on, Sakura,'**_ commented an echoing voice dryly...

The person which the source of the voice was talking to, however, did not respond, and merely continued washing the dishes...

In all her long life, there had been very few things that had ever caught Kurama's the Nine-tailed Bijuu's, interest, and this may be due to the fact that in all that time, she had been unable to move on, and continued grieving over the death of the only being she ever cared for, the Sage of the Six Paths. And the only things that had gotten her attention were strong adversaries, as well as people like Madara and the 1st Hokage, who literally forced her to set her eyes on them...

Now, however, there were two people who had aroused her curiosity... and one of them was her current host, Uzumaki Naruto...

Having spent time with the sage before he passed away, Kurama, while she had rarely ever performed handseals (owing to the fact that she never needed to due to her immense power), she was familiar with jutsus work, and in fact, she is able to get a good grasp of how a technique works even if she has seen it performed only once... and that included the sealing jutsu that the Yondaime had used to seal her into the blonde (who Kurama knew was the Fourth Hokage's son.).

The sealing technique that was used by Namikaze Minato was a fairly complex one. However, the fox was able to determine its workings, and the fox growled angrily when she realized what it was to be used for, not liking what she discovered one bit...

Apparently, the sealing technique was not meant simply to trap the fox and seal her powers: its true purpose was for the jailor (Naruto) to harness the power of his prisoner (Kurama). What the seal, once fully activated was supposed to do was to establish a chakra connection between the jinchuuriki and the bijuu.

The chakra (both Naruto's and the Kyuubi's) served as the rope, with the boy and the fox holding the opposite ends. Then, like in a game of tug of war, both sides will try to pull the rope away from each other. In the end, whichever one of the two managed to pull the rope away from the other would be the winner, and in this case, whoever won would live while the other, losing all his/her chakra would die.

True, it was a risky gamble made by the Fourth, but the kitsune only knew too well that the man had placed some fail safes to his plan. For starters, the seal itself had a mechanism which, while only in small, almost insignificant amounts, was actually supposed to slowly transfer chakra from the fox to the boy, converting it in the process. Then, once the boy became aware of the kitsune's existence, and had reached a certain level of experience (as the fox guessed), he himself would fully activate the tug-of-war mechanism, and thus begin the process.

It was an insane and very risky plan, but the fox only knew too well how much faith and trust Minato and Kushina had on their son, which they had shown before they were taken by the shinigami (as the technique the Yondaime used to seal the fox required him to sacrifice his soul in exchange, and Kurama's former jinchuuriki willingly joined her husband in the struggle).

Yes, the nine-tailed fox speculated that that was their plan. A slow, and painful death for the kitsune, while all her chakra would go to the son of the one who sealed her.

In truth, the fox had already known all these details as she examined her jail, and in fact, the information had increased her already boiling rage at the time. While she no longer held any hatred for her container (And in fact, partially due to Sakura's influence, the fox had actually somehow began caring for the boy) she still held a grudge against her parents for what they tried to do (although she no longer had any intention of taking out her frustration on their offspring). However...

Apparently, the seal was not working in the way that it was supposed to...

For while the fox and the boy were connected, their connection was only physical, not spiritual...

Despite the strength of the seal, Kurama was able to channel her chakra (aside from the tiny amount that was already being taken from her by said seal almost discreetly) through Naruto's body, enough of it to significantly increase the boy's healing capabilities, as well as somehow enhance his senses. In fact, a deep cut would only take a few hours to completely heal, when normally it would have taken at least a week. However, she was unable to directly influence him, nor was she able to make a mental connection to the boy, and thus had no means to communicate with her host.

Yes, while it was true that she was able to use the boy's five senses (sight, hearing smell, touch taste) for her own, she was unable to do anything beyond it. She was immobile, frozen, like a statue, unable to move, and could not influence the boy's thoughts or actions, and while she was able to guess what the boy was feeling or thinking, based on changes in his body rhythms like the heartbeat, all she could do was guess (the kitsune could not read his mind)...

For the boy's mental barrier was something else entirely, and was in fact, proving to be just about as effective as any powerful seal. The kitsune had actually tried getting past it, yet found herself unsuccessful, and the only thing that Kurama was able to see upon attempting forceful entry into the boy's mind...

Was a barren wasteland littered with swords...

It was, as far as the kitsune was concerned, a bit interesting, and she actually found herself amused. However, ever since the events of the previous night, her curiosity has been increased to a whole new level. For having been able to share the boy's senses when she wanted to, the kitsune had discovered something that was very baffling...

_Flashback_

_Kurama, after giving Sakura specific direction, had once again returned her consciousness to her container, trying to possess the blonde and control his body, in an attempt to save him._

"_DIE, DEMON!"_

_Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, the kitsune was unable to do so. All she could do was watch helplessly, as the assailant brought down his sword..._

"_Trace... on!"_

_CLANG!_

_End of Flashback_

To say that Kurama was surprised would be an understatement (And considering that the one who was shocked was an extremely powerful, legendary bijuu, that in itself was already something). For in truth, the kitsune expected the boy to die, and she along with him (Kurama knew that if the boy was killed, she would suffer the same fate.). However, what she thought to be inevitable did not come...

For instead of dying, the boy had been able to block the experienced ninja's attack, and after a few exchanges, which lasted only a few seconds, the boy had managed to turn the tables on his assailant, cutting off his sword arm, then stabbing him in the stomach, using a pair of identical, black and white swords...

...and this got the kitsune's attention. While most people would assume that the boy had them all along, either by hiding them under his clothes, quickly unsealing them from a scroll, or preparing them in the place beforehand, Kurama knew that none of these speculations were correct... For the swords that the boy used...

...had not been there originally. Rather, he had brought them into existence...

Apparently, the blonde had created something out of nothing... And that in itself, was something that even the kitsune knew was impossible. No matter how small or meagre, chakra, or some form of energy, had to be used to perform such a feat... Yet the kitsune, who shared the blonde's senses, had not felt the blonde doing anything of the sort... Kurama thought that she had felt a sudden jolt of pain before the weapons appeared, but given the fact that the boy was already injured, it could have been related to that...

The boy, as the fox was certain of, did not use any chakra. In fact, it would have been impossible him to do so. For the shinobi who attacked him, based from his the way he fought, was a Hyuuga, and had the Byakugan, sealing off her vessel's tenketsu points, and rendering him unable to use chakra...

It was, as far as the bijuu was concerned, impossible. First, the boy had brought weapons into existence, apparently without doing anything aside from wishing them to appear. And also...the boy had fought with an incredible level of skill... which was another impossibility. As far as the fox could tell, the boy was only at the learning stages of his kenjutsu, and should not have been a match for a full fledged ninja when it comes to a sword fight.

The strange barrier...

The wasteland of weapons...

The black and white swords that should not exist...

All of these strange things and occurrences had to be connected...

The boy, who was the jinchuuriki of the strongest of the bijuu, the Kyuubi, was special... of that Kurama was certain of. However, other than the strange, useful abilities which her container seemed to have, there was something else that the kitsune was wondering about... something which was much more puzzling and disturbing than the blonde-haired boy's unique powers...

'_Hey, Kurama,' _said a female voice mentally.

'_**Hmmm? What is it, Sakura?'**_ the kitsune replied to the pinkette mentally.

'_Is there anything in particular that you'd like to eat?'_ inquired Sakura.

'_**Chicken curry with fried tofu, fried chicken with fried tofu, chicken barbecue with fried tofu..."**_

'_Fine, I get it,'_ replied the pink-haired girl, a note of irritation and finality noticeable in it, having undoubtedly noticed that the kitsune was once again teasing her. '_Am I to assume that you're fine with anything as long as there is chicken and tofu included?'_

'_**Mmm... uuu...' **_replied the fox in agreement. _**'So then...y****ou're making a bento for him?' **_

'_Why, do you find anything wrong with that?_' inquired the pinkette in a monotonous tone, although the fox, having connected to the girl's senses, was not deceived, and knew that she was actually flustered...

'_**No,'**_ replied the kitsune nonchalantly, trying to hide the laughter in her voice. In truth, while it was true that the blonde usually made food for breakfast, lunch and dinner on a daily basis, not to mention the fact that he was the better cook, that did not stop Sakura from making bento for him.

It was so obvious, so glaringly obvious, how the pinkette felt for the blonde, and Kurama did not need to be psychic to know that Sakura liked the boy...

The fox, in the past few years since their first meeting, had literally seen the world through the pinkette's eyes, in the same way the fox did with her jinchuuriki. For some reason or another, a connection between her and the pinkette has been established, which allowed the fox to transfer her consciousness to the girl's mindscape whenever she wanted to with ease, and was able to share her senses in the same way that she did with Naruto. Still...

'_Is something bothering you?'_ inquired Sakura.

'_**It's...nothing...'**_ lied the kitsune., trailing off...

The girl did not press further, probably not wanting to invade too much into her (Kurama's) private space, but the bijuu knew that she did not believe her.

While it was true that the kitsune now stayed in Sakura's mindscape most of the time, she had neither tried taking control of her body, nor had the kitsune tried to read her mind. The fox had a feeling that if she tried to force her way, unlike with the blonde who was her container, she would be able to do so with the pinkette. The fact that the two of them were able to engage in conversation implied that the connection would be strong enough to allow it. However, the kitsune had no intention of doing so...

'_**What is wrong with me?'**_ cursed the fox inwardly, making sure that she did not think it out aloud so that Sakura would not hear her...

Kurama had never admitted it openly, but in truth, the past four years had been among the best times of her life. The fox that had been shrouded in darkness, ever since the Sage of the Six Paths had died, had been able to move on from her grief, and for the first time in very long time, was once again able to smile with real happiness,. True, the fox still held her old hate and grudges (especially against one Uchiha Madara), but for the most part, she was presently content and at ease...

And it was all thanks to Sakura. For the girl had been like a beacon of light for the kitsune, and had been the answer to the fox's dearest wishe (one which Kurama had tried to deny the fact to herself), which had been buried deep in her rage and hatred...

She now had a friend... a companion... a family... she was no longer alone...

Which is why the fox could not help but feel saddened, as she realized that eventually... just like the Sage... whether it was ten, twenty, or even a hundred years...

...Sakura would die, and Kurama would be left all alone again...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

"Ugh..." groaned an exhausted-looking (and indeed, truly exhausted) blonde-haired boy, as he arrived at his apartment.

It had not been a pleasant day for the young Uzumaki, having been dragged around all day by his weapons fanatic of a friend. After successfully striking a deal with the metal dealer (who surprisingly enough, turned out to be an honest to goodness person of the trade), and delivering the goods to the girl's father, Naruto waved his goodbyes and tried to leave. At that precise moment, however, Sakura, who had been looking for the blonde to give him his bento, arrived.

Normally, it would have been fine, and in fact, Naruto was really happy at the fact that the pinkette actually went through all the trouble just to make a meal for him. Unfortunately...

"_Let's go shopping!" cried Tenten, as she caught up with them._

And that one sentence spelled his doom. Instead of having a relaxing afternoon (since Sakura had told him not to train and 'take it easy' for the day), he had to spend it as the bun-haired girl's baggage boy. In fact, the blonde was actually a bit grateful that the pinkette had other matters to attend to and could not come with, otherwise it would have been much worse. While it was true that Sakura was neither as noisy nor as hyperactive as Tenten when shopping, she was still like the other in many respects, wanting to visit every single shop, scrutinizing items one by one, and while they end up buying less than one percent of the total number of merchandize scrutinized, it was still quite a lot...

To add to the blonde's misfortune, the number of sealing scrolls he and Tenten brought with them (which can be used to seal anything, not only weapons) were not enough to contain all of them, and thus, the blonde had to carry around the rest of the items bought the normal way...

"?!"

It was rather fortunate that the blonde had developed good reflexes. For the moment Naruto opened the door to his apartment, he was met by...

CLANG!

...a sword that was aimed for body, which the Uzumaki blocked with a kunai...

"S-Sakura-chan?" said the blonde weakly, shocked to see that it was her pink-haired friend who had apparently tried to ambush him. In truth, the blonde would have thought that it was someone disguised as Sakura, had it not been for the fact that he was all too familiar with her fighting style (not to mention her scent).

"I see... so all that time we spent training wasn't a waste after all," said the pinkette, as she lowered her sword.

The blonde could not help but sigh in relief. The moment that he saw that it was his best friend who tried to assault him, a number of unpleasant speculations entered his mind. However, all of these negative notions were dropped and forgotten the moment he saw that the weapon the pinkette used was their training weapon, which can never cut its target, which meant that she wasn't trying to kill him. However...

"What was that for, Sakura-chan?" the blonde asked.

"I was merely trying to check how well you respond to an unexpected assault," replied the pinkette.

The young Uzumaki could not help but stare at his friend, for it was the first time, as far as he knew, that Sakura, training or no training, had attempted to launch a surprise on him (it just wasn't her style). Realizing that there was probably more to it, Naruto was about to open his mouth to ask why, but was unable to, as the pinkette cut him off...

"Here, this is for you," said the girl, as she approached Naruto , handing him a scroll. "I suggest you read it carefully."

The blonde proceeded to open the parchment, and began reading the content, starting with the title...

"?!"

The blonde could not help but feel his eyes widen in surprise, taking one look at his pink-haired friend (who merely nodded and gave him a 'read everything first, talk later gesture.'), then back at the paper he was reading. For on the top part of the scroll, serving as its title, were the words :

**SHINOBI QUALIFICATION EXAM**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out.

It has indeed been a very busy week for me, and I barely managed to squeeze out a few hours of free time to rest. Work piling up like always. Now, to answer some of your queries...

First, did Naruto trace Caliburn? Well, after you've read this chapter, I'm sure you know which sword/s he used, even if the name/s was/were not mentioned.

Second, is Kurama someone from Fate/Extra or from the Nasuverse? Well, the answer is no. While it was true that she participated in the 6th Holy Grail War, the nine-tailed fox in my story is more of an OC in a way. Although I tried to make her nature the same as the canon Kyuubi (though I believe I'm failing miserably), I also decided to add in a bit of background. If I'm not mistaken, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's true gender has not been revealed yet.

Yeah, I know that there are many fanfics out there like mine which make out the Kyuubi's gender as female. It's kind of weird that the story is already nearing the end (I think) yet the gender of said major character (Kyuubi is definitely a major character, as the fox is with Naruto all the time) has not yet been revealed (although the design of the fox's torso is a bit of a giveaway to the gender, unless it was simply a ruse to further add confusion). I was actually contemplating on giving one of the characters I used that still did not have a family name one, but I opted not to, but enough about that...

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: OF VISIONS AND TRAINING**

(Naruto POV)

_The sky was a clear red-orange, as if it was either dawn or dusk... and yet... that was not the case..._

_For the reason why the sky was illuminated... was because of the city was on fire..._

_The area was engulfed in flames... cars, houses, tall building, were ablaze. And yet, there was no one screaming. Not one of the people residing in the buildings seemed to have been bothered by the fact that they were about to burned to alive. _

_For in truth... the people living there, hundreds of them..._

_...were already dead, and have been sucked dry of their life force. _

_Their bodies would have been in normal condition and in good health, without any sign of injury, except for the fact that they were no longer breathing..._

_... for they were nothing now but lifeless, soulless, empty shells..._

_And in this seemingly infernal hell of destruction of a place, a young man with red-orange hair, wearing a red cloak over jeans and a white and blue shirt ran past, trying to keep himself calm, bottling up his emotions, not wanting to be distracted and disheartened by what was happening around him... for there was something which he had to do, and he could not let his emotions get the better of him..._

_Soon, the man had reached destination: a large, well built bridge, which had not yet been reached by the flames. The young man slackened his pace, as he moved ever forward, then stopped, near the middle of the bridge..._

_For about ten meters away from him, stood a man... a man, with golden-blonde hair, staring at the other with hatred in his blood red eyes..._

"_So you finally decided to meet your end, Faker?" said the man, his voice a mixture of pride, contempt, and amusement..._

"_Faker? Now that's a new one, King of Heroes," replied the red-haired young man in a mocking tone. "What happened to mongrel?"_

"_Mongrel is too good a word to describe you, Faker" snarled the man in a haughty manner. "Even dogs are worthier of respect." At these words, the empty space behind the man in golden armor began to shift, as blades, swords and spears, of all shapes and sizes began emerging from the distortion... Most people faced by such peril would have either fainted or would have been frozen on the spot, helpless and unable to do anything. "So, then, faker... do you have any last words?"_

_The young man clad in red, however, did not seem to be frightened intimated, or if he was, he did not show it, and merely smiled, as he mirrored the move made by his opponent, by also making swords appear behind him... which was exactly the same number, and strikingly similar to the ones brought out by the one he called the King of Heroes, as he chanted..._

"_**I am the bone of my sword..."**_

_Soon, the air was filled with the sound of metal, as the countless number of swords summoned by the two clashed against one another, their battle on the bridge illuminated by the fire that was incinerating the city..._

Criiiiing...

And as the view began fading, as a blonde-haired young man, whose name was Uzumaki Naruto, yawned, as he awakened from his dream...

Criiiiiing...

"Hmmm?"

CRIIIIIING...

Click.

The sound stopped, as the blonde pressed the button to turn off the alarm.

"Now that's weird... I thought I set it to go off at seven..."

The young Uzumaki looked at the clock more closely and saw that it was already half past ten thirty in the morning...

"DEAR KAMI!" shouted the blonde with a start. "I'M LATE!"

A sense of dread filled the blonde as he dressed himself as fast as he could...

"Sakura's going to kill me..."

**-BREAK-**

(Sakura POV)

SWOOSH!

"Ha... ha... ha..."

A certain pink-haired girl had just completed her warm-up and sword practice, for the blonde to arrive, so that they could begin their training...

In truth, Sakura was actually the one responsible for resetting Naruto's alarm clock to go off at a different time, to give him some more time to rest, as well as herself more time to think...

'_**I must admit I'm surprised with what you did, Sakura,'**_ stated the echoing voice of the Nine-Tailed Fox. '_**I thought you were against Naruto becoming a shinobi?'.**_

'_And I have not changed my view on the matter,'_ the pinkette replied mentally to the kitsune, as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. '_However, the present situation has left us with no other choice. Much as I hate to admit it, but if Naruto were to stay alive, becoming a ninja would be the only option.'_

It had not been a easy decision to make for Haruno Sakura. But after analyzing the pros and cons of the recent events, she realized that there was no other way around it...

_Flashback_

"_Sakura-chan," said a female voice._

"_What is it Tenten?"_

"_Nothing important," said the bun-haired girl. "It's just that recently a strange rumor going around, about how one of the top ranking shinobi from the most powerful clan in the village got his ass kicked by a kid." _

_The pinkette, who was currently doing the laundry at the time (She was in charge of washing the clothes while Naruto was in charge of cooking), stared at her bun-haired questioningly, who was rather pale, and was not being her normal self, for usually, she was straightforward when asking a question..._

"_Is it true... that Naruto defeated a Hyuuga?" inquired the girl, as she finally managed to ask the question._

_End of Flashback_

The Hyuuga, one of most influential clans in the Hidden Leaf Village. They were a quite wealthy, literally, and any move they make can have a significant effect on the prices of commodities in Konoha. They were a force to be reckoned with in terms of economic prowess, and according to Sakura's father, they had already crippled several competitors in the business world, and were thus, respected. However... the real reason why the particular clan was feared and respected, for what the Hyuugas were truly known for...

Was their eyes...

The Byakugan, All Seeing-White Eyes, a very powerful dojutsu that was considered to be a match for the Uchiha clan's Sharingan (Kurama actually commented that it was much better and more powerful than the Sharingan, although Sakura sensed that for whatever reason it was, the kitsune seemed to hold a lot of grudge and prejudice against the Uchiha.), and was second only to the Rinnegan, the eyes the Sage of the Six Paths. For starters, it gives whoever wields it 360 degrees vision, meaning that they can see an attack coming from any direction, except for a particular blindspot. Also, if sufficiently awakened, the eyes actually allow the user to see through solid obstacles, such as the ground or wall, which makes it an ideal ability for both offense and defense, for it makes ambushing a Hyuuga with an activated Byakugan extremely difficult, as it allows its wielder to know the enemy's location, and nothing can deceive or allow hiding from the White Eyes, except for the most powerful, high-level, illusions. However, that was not all...

Aside from the enhanced vision, the Byakugan also allowed its user to see through the enemy's chakra circulatory system. Chakra, a combination of physical and spiritual energy, is what is required by all ninjas to perform their respective ninjutsu. And thus, using the eyes, in combination with their trademark Gentle Fist Martial Arts, a Hyuuga can directly attack the Chakra Circulatory points, and thus render their adversaries unable to use their ninjutsu-based techniques.

Overall, the Hyuugas were considered as among the strongest shinobi in close-range combat...

The clan was indeed powerful and influential, and it was best not to mess with them, lest you want their wrath to fall upon you...

And now Naruto had just killed a member of the Hyuuga clan...

A little while after Sakura had carried Naruto back to his apartment two nights before, the old Hokage dropped by and informed the pinkette of the recent development. The Sandaime actually occasionally visited the blonde, partly because he was checking up on his condition, although Sakura suspected that part of the reason was due to the boy's cooking skills, and thus visited for the purpose of enjoying his meals. (For some reason, Sakura could not help but get the feeling that the man had means of keeping an eye on Naruto aside from discreet ANBU bodyguards, and her suspicion increased further when the man had arrived to their rescue much sooner than she expected, for she knew how fast her messenger familiars were, as well as the fact that the one of Naruto's assailants was, as the Hokage accidentally let slip, the one assigned to guard the blonde at the time, and was thus unlikely to have been the one to bring the news to the Sandaime, not that Sakura was not grateful for it.).

It was actually rather fortunate that the Hyuuga in question was a member of the ANBU ops, for it allowed the third Hokage to control the situation. They were after all, shinobi who take direct orders from the Sandaime himself, and any act of violation against their oath could merit their execution, as per agreement with the Hyuuga clan. The orders from the Hokage was to be prioritized over the orders from their clan. Therefore, the official report made was that an ANBU shinobi defied the Sandaime, and were therefore pursued executed, along with his two accomplices, while the details regarding the incident were not revealed, as Sarutobi declared said information to be 'classified'. And yet, despite the old man's efforts...

... the undisclosed details regarding the incident still leaked out... The fact that Tenten knew about it, even without hearing about it from either Sakura or Naruto, who were directly involved, was proof enough... And the person who Tenten heard it from was...

...Hyuuga Neiji...

Yes, it was bad enough that information regarding the incident managed to spread, not to mention the fact that it was made even worse by the fact that that particular piece of information had undoubtedly reached the Hyuuga clan... However, what really made the situation truly grim was the fact that the particular Byakugan user that Naruto killed...

Was the second most powerful member of the Hyuugas, whose skills was said to be second only to the clan's head, Hyuuga Hiashi.

Sakura knew for certain, that the main reason why the Hyuuga lost was probably because of his pride and arrogance. She did not know the man personally, but as far as she could tell, the shinobi had grown complacent, thinking that his blonde target was an easy picking, having drawn out his katana. Had he stayed composed, and merely stuck to his main guns, which was the barehanded, weaponless, fighting style of the Hyuugas, and avoided playing around... the pinkette did not even want to think about it...

And to make matters worse, Tenten actually broke down and began crying as she told Sakura what she knew. Apparently, the Hyuuga clan had suddenly paid all their debts **(A/N Although the Hyuugas were powerful, like in all businesses, they have debts, although in this case it is a sign of trust.)** to the bun-haired girl's family in full, before retracting all of their orders for weapons, and the pinkette knew that it meant that they were removing any connection with the weapons craftsmen. And while it was true that the girl's (Tenten's) family, while knowing of the incident, understood, and did not blame nor hate Naruto for it, stating that the Hyuugas were not their only client and was not really much of a loss (which was true in a way), the events which happened had undoubtedly caused other problems, especially for the bun-haired weapon—loving female.

For Neiji, who had been a good friend of Tenten for years, had just told her that he was cutting any and all ties with her, and it was heavy blow to the bun-haired girl... For Naruto's non-ANBU assailants, who had been killed by the shinobi that Hiruzen sent in pursuit...

... Were also members of the Hyuuga Branch Family, to which Neiji belonged, and the Hyuuga blamed Naruto for their desmise... and in turn, the hate that had probably been growing inside him against the blonde was now also directed at his friends... which sadly, included Tenten...

Sakura knew that it must have been painful for the bun-haired girl, losing a close friend, yet there was nothing the pinkette could do at the time but comfort her as she cried.

In truth, the pinkette knew that Tenten was either disliked or ignored by many of the people, both students and teachers alike, at the Ninja Academy (and now Neiji was among them), undoubtedly due to the fact that she hangs around a lot with the 'Demon Brat.' This was actually one of the reasons why Sakura did not attend said school, as well as stopped Naruto, who actually wanted to go, from doing so. And speaking of the blonde...

While it was true that Sakura and Naruto did not attend the Academy, that did not mean that they did not have knowledge on the art of the shinobi. For in reality, even without going to the school, they have more or less learned the basics, and perhaps more...

And it was all thanks to two ANBU guards, the only two shinobi who were caring... or at least competent enough, to fulfill their role as the boy's protector (Although for some reason, Kurama seemed to dislike both of them despite this fact). While the two had neither taken off their masks nor revealed their identities (and have in fact, never conversed with the one they were protecting), they made sure that the blonde was unharmed. Sakura actually noted that one of them, who had white hair, seemed to see Naruto like a little brother from his ANBU mask. It was rather sad, for these two particular masked shinobi were no longer in charge of guard duty for some reason or another. Sakura, having managed to get into speaking terms with the two, knew that both of them left Konoha.

The white-haired ANBU had left the ANBU ops to do some travelling. The black-haired one, however, simply said that he will no longer be among those shifting in for guard duty. The masked ops, who seemed to still be in his teens, actually radiated an aura which was a mixture of sadness and killing intent (though not aimed at Sakura) the day that he informed her he was leaving, which made Sakura suspect that he might actually had been the one responsible for the slaughter and near annihilation of a certain clan in Konoha (the news of which somewhat pleased the kitsune), except for a young boy who was the same age as Sakura and Naruto.

Still, whatever the young ANBU might have done, even if he had indeed been responsible for the death of his entire family, Sakura could not bring herself to hate the person who had protected Naruto, and who the pinkette somehow considered a friend. For all she knew, there may have been a good reason why he had been compelled to do what he did, if it really was him. After all, she herself had once killed her own flesh and bl...

Before they left, the two had left behind some books and scrolls with Sakura (who had been been quite nagging in her own way), along with some of their own personal notes, which contained basic information on techniques, jutsus, weapons and other information valuable to one aspiring to become a ninja, especially to those who were just on the beginning of the journey to become one.

Sakura never actually wanted the blonde to become a shinobi, although if he truly insisted, there would be nothing she could do to stop him. However, 'becoming a shinobi' and 'learning the way of the shinobi' are two different things. While the pinkette did not want her friend to become a ninja (as well as having no intention of becoming one herself), she still made sure that she and her blonde-haired friend learned the skills of one. The world, after all, was a cruel (Naruto simply had so much experience on this aspect.) and unpredictable place, and therefore, it was best to be always prepared.

Before, while the people of Konoha had bullied and beaten Naruto, they stopped short of killing him. Now, however, there were those who actively wanted to take his life... and to make matters worse, one of the most powerful clans in Konoha, the Hyuugas, was after his blood, and wanted him dead...

The clan of Byakugan users, after what happened to one of their kin, would undoubtedly do everything in their power to destroy Naruto. Even though the Hokage himself cared for the blonde, it could only do so much, as proven by the fact that he still got persecuted by the villagers despite the Sandaime's orders, as well as him somehow having the ability to watch over him. For even though he cared for the blonde, Sarutobi was still the Hokage, the leader of Konoha, and thus, with tons of responsibility on his shoulders, it would have been impossible for him to watch over Naruto all the time, as Sakura knew the feeling all too well, having been in the same position before. Even though he had taken full responsibility for the turn of events, and would undoubtedly be able to effectively block the Hyuugas' attempts to have Naruto executed, that did not mean that they could not find other, more underhanded means to do so, legally or not. Being a shinobi, after all, is all about deception...

Which is why Sakura had come to a decision. While she did not like it, she knew that it had to be done... there was no other way...

Thanks to the fact that she was on good terms with the Sandaime, as well as a sufficient number of the members of both the Shinobi and Civilian Council (Some due to their involvement with Haruno Merchandising, while the others know her because she was often seen with Naruto, having dropped their hatred for the boy, due to his helpful nature, utilizing his inborn talent as an all-around handyman.), to be able to initiate her plan...

The pink-haired girl had actually spent the previous day visiting a number of people, engaging them in indirect conversation about the suggestion that she wanted passed (She may still be a child, but in the eyes of many, she was mature enough to be taken seriously). While the Hokage was going to present it as his own idea, it was still best that these particular people were informed of it, in a positive angle, before the pre-arranged meeting so that it will be supported...

And thus, it came to pass, that the plan of the Third Hokage (which was actually Sakura's) was approved by the Council (Technically, the Sandaime, in this particular issue, could have initiated it without their consent. However, it was always best to get it approved by the Council, to reduce opposition, as well as get acquire sponsors. And the particular notion...

... was a test and tournament, the SHINOBI QUALIFICATION EXAM...

She may not like it, the idea of becoming one, but in order for them to address their current predicament...

Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura must walk the path of, and become... shinobi...

**-BREAK-**

**One Month Later...**

(Naruto POV)

SPLASH!

"KYAAA! TOO HOT! TOO HOT!" shrieked a girl, as she submerged into a pool of boiling water.

"TEN-CHAN!" cried a blonde-haired by, as he immediately ran on top of the water towards the bun-haired girl to pull her u...

WHACK!

"Ow..."

SPLASH!

"AAAARGH! HOT! HOT!" screamed the young Uzumaki, as he too fell into the very hot water, having lost his focus and balance...

"SAKURA! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" the blonde shouted at the pinkette, as he got back up on his feet on the water, glaring at his pink-haired friend. From the corner off his eyes, Naruto saw the bun-haired (her hair was no longer tied up in a bun though the binding having been loosened when she fell into the water) as she swam back to the edge of the pool.

"That is what you get for allowing yourself to get distracted," replied Sakura in a monotonous tone, as she lowered her training metal sword. "In the midst of battle, one small error or distraction could very well be the deciding factor of victory or defeat, life or death. Allowing yourself to lose focus, even for just a fraction of a second, would leave you vulnerable. It is folly at its peak to turn your back on your enemy. Had I been aiming to kill, you would be dead already..."

"But what if your friends were in danger?" the blonde shot at the pink-haired girl. "What if we were about to get killed? Would you just leave your friends to die?"

"No," replied Sakura automatically. "However, while that is the case, what we are doing as of present is just a simulation of a real battle, we are merely training. None of us are in any real danger, so there was absolutely no reason for you to act. Now come, we have wasted enough time talking."

"But," began the young Uzumaki...

"It's okay, Naruto, I'm fine," said Tenten, her hair long her down and dripping wet, as she walked back to the pool and resumed her 'walking on water' training. In fact she was nearly there, and was now only submerge up to the heels of her feet. "Just focus on your own training..."

The blonde-haired boy did not have any time to think, instinctively positioning himself and his pair of twin training swords into a stance, as the pink-haired girl rushed towards him, resuming their spar, as metal clashed against metal...

CLANG!

CLANG!

WHOOOSH!

CLANG!

SPLASH!

Soon, however, the exhaustion, caused by the fact that the blonde had been forcing himself beyond his limits, had caught up with him, and thus he collapsed. The last thing he remembered before he passed out was hearing Sakura and Tenten shout his name in worry.

It had been a month since Sakura informed told Naruto of the SHINOBI QUALIFICATION EXAM, which would occur in three months' time (presently, 2 months' time), and the blonde could not have been more static. While there had not yet been any announcements as to what kind of trial would be prepared, it was indicated that whoever passes would immediately be drafted as a ninja officially, without having to go through schooling.

In truth, Uzumaki Naruto had always wanted to become a shinobi. Having heard about the various heroic exploits of the most revered ninjas in Konoha, including the four Kages, the White Fang, and others, the blonde decided that he wanted to follow the path of a ninja. For he wanted to become like them... he wanted to become a hero...

And it was for this reason that the blonde had been dedicated to learning the way of a ninja. Even though he had not attended, upon Sakura's suggestion, the Ninja Academy, he did not lack shinobi training. In fact, had it not been for the fact that he had other responsibilities to attend to (like being the neighborhood handyman), he would have spent all of his time training, and Sakura had always been there to help him out, having taken the role, despite their similar age and friendship, of someone like a mentor. (Naruto actually wondered how somehow of her age could be so skilled in the art, but then again, there had been prodigies like the famous 'Kakashi, the Man of a Thousand Jutsus,' who had become full-fledged shinobi at a very young age, so it should have come as no surprise.). Her training was strict and harsh, but that was to be expected. After all, there really was no easy way to learn. And in a couple of years, he had become sufficiently versed in the different jutsus.

Recently, however, the training Naruto had experienced in the past month had been harsher, although Naruto endured. It hadn't really been much of a surprise. After the attempt made on his life, as well as the tourney coming up (although Naruto was sure it was more due to the former than the latter) it was only natural that his training would be stepped up a notch, so that he would be able to better defend himself the next time such an encounter occurs (and to shinobi, life and death situations were a part of their everyday life).

And a week after they had begun the regime, Tenten had started to join them in their training. The bun-haired girl, to Naruto's surprise, actually quit the Ninja Academy. The blonde, having heard of how she had been treated at the school, as well as her recent falling out with her Hyuuga friend, felt guilty and tried to apologize, but Tenten stopped him, saying that it wasn't his fault, and that if there was anyone to blame, it was the people and their damn prejudice.

Still, despite the problems that they may have to face, Naruto could not help but feel happy, as he was finally taking the next step to achieving his dream of becoming a hero. However...

'_**Trace... on...'**_

_**...**_

'_**I am the bone of my sword.'**_

Ever since that night, Naruto's dreams have begun changing. Before, the blonde had only ever dreamed of standing on a hill of swords. In the past few weeks, however, he had been dreaming of something else...

A white-haired man clad in red and black, wielding a pair of twin swords, black and white, mirror-images of each other...

A red-haired younger man clad in red and white, wielding the exact same pair of swords...

It was strange. Ever since he had summoned those particular blades... he had been getting strange dreams.

Kanshou and Bakuya, falchion-like blades with a tragic story. For the wife of the swordmaker who had been tasked by the emperor to forge them, sacrificed herself, allowing the flames of the furnace to use her body as a fuel to strengthen it to make the swords that come out as perfect as they can be. This was the sword's history... yet how exactly did he(Naruto) know? (In truth, the blonde had tried using the ninjutsu known as Tracing to reproduce the weapons. However, he had only been able to succeed in making it appear for a few seconds, and he felt a very painful burning sensation inside his body when he did so, before passing out. He had been slowly trying to learn it, for it did not require the use of hand signs, but it will still take some time for him to master it.).

Also, while he knew of the sword's origin, the blonde also saw flashes of how they have been wielded... for the swords were the favoured weapons of the white-haired and red-haired man.

And to make it even stranger, the two people he dreamt of seemed strangely familiar. He did not know why, but somehow, Naruto was sure that he knew them, that he had seen them before... that he had met them before... But the strangest part of all was the fact that he felt like... he had not only seen them or met them, but that... **he had been them before...**

And in those dreams, which felt more like memories than anything, he had witnessed several incidents, as well as saw some people... who felt strangely familiar...

There was a huge fire, where everything was burning...

A black-haired man, wearing a black coat, implanting something into the red-haired child's (Naruto's?) body, before taking him(Naruto?) away from the burning hell, a look of joy in his eyes as he saved the boy...

The black haired man became the boy's (Naruto's?) father...

The man dying on a snowy night, as the red-haired boy (Naruto?) promising he would become a hero in his place...

A brown-haired noisy but kind-hearted woman terrorizing what appears to be a classroom...

A shy, purple-haired girl cooking dinner...

A tsundere-type, black-haired girl firing black balls of light...

A silver-haired girl dancing in a park as snow fell...

The blonde saw flashes of memories, memories that were not his own... or were they actually his own memories? He did not know anymore, not sure of what was going on...

Then, he found himself face to face with a petite, blonde-haired girl, smiling at him, yet crying at the same time, in a place where the wind blows gently as clouds drifted by...

And as Naruto continued staring at her, he felt a jolt in his heart, as he remembered who she was... someone who is precious to him... and as he reached out his hand, the blonde-haired girl caught it with her own, clasping his palm with both of her own. And as he remembered her name, which had been sealed deep in his heart, the young Uzumaki opened his mouth...

"Arturi..."

SPLASH!

"?!"

The young Uzumaki closed his eyes for a moment, surprised, as he felt cold water hit him full in the face, and when he opened them...

"Sakura?"

He found himself staring at the pink-haired girl who was the best friend that he secretly had a crush on...

"So then, are you two done flirting?" said a female voice, which could only belong to one person, a look of amusement on her face.

"Ten-chan?" inquired the blonde, feeling confused for a moment, before he remembered exactly what happened to him: he passed out, then he was brought back to consciousness by... "HEY, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"We were not flirting or doing anything which you are trying to suggest, Tenten," the pinkette replied to their weapon-loving friend in a calm voice. "I was merely trying to check Naruto's pulse."

"Pulse?" asked the blonde. Then he realized...

...That Sakura's hands were currently clasped over his own...

"Really now, Sakura-chan?" mused Tenten in a teasing voice. "I may not be a medic-nin... but I know for a fact that that is not the proper way to take a pulse..."

Had they been in the same situation two years before, Naruto would have just shrugged it off as nothing. However, as he had developed feelings for his best friend that was beyond friendship or sibling-like affection...

The young Uzumaki could feel the color rising to his face, for up to that moment, he was still holding hands with Sakura, neither of them wanting to be the one to let go first...

**-BREAK-**

(Sarutobi POV)

In a certain office in Konoha, with a serious look on his face, was the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as he watched three ten year-old aspiring ninjas training, by means of a crystal ball...

It was not an easy job, being a Hokage, for being the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village meant that he has to constantly put up with one of the worst enemies possible, an enemy which, depending on perspective, may be seen as something just as horrifying as the Kyuubi or Uchiha Madara... an enemy known as... paperwork...

Yet, as of present, the Third Hokage had finally found a way to vanquish this particular enemy... and it was all thanks to a certain pinkette who went by the name Haruno Sakura. For the girl had given the old man a suggestion on how he might be able to conquer this particular adversary... by means of using Kagebunshin, creating shadow clones of himself to manage the papers while the original took a break and relex...

It was actually mortifying, for one as old and wise as the Sandaime, to not have realized this particular aspect, despite his nearly unmatchable skill as a shinobi and years of experience, and it actually took a child to make him realize it. All the time he could have spent doing more productive things... spending more time with his grandson Konohamaru... doing a better job of watching out for the Yondaime's son... having enough free time to read his student's masterpiece, Icha-icha tactics... Yes, it had been such a waste. However, there was no use crying over it. What is done is done, and now that he had discovered the solution, Sarutobi intended to utilize it to the fullest...

Paperwork aside, however, a Hokage does indeed have a lot responsibilities. He was the symbol, the support, the person who serves as the roof, pillar and foundation to his home. He was Konoha's protector, and was responsible for taking care of and defending the people under his wing... Not just during in battle during times of war, but also in terms of politics and economics... which were actually the reason behind the mountain of paperwork. He had to make sure that all trading industries were doing well, which not only included agriculture, metal and the basic industries... but also the 'shinobi industry,' for the Hokage was also the one responsible for distributing information on possible missions given by various people in Fire Country, inspecting them carefully, and rejecting the ones which were against the principles of the Hidden Leaf...

Yes, a Hokage was a very busy man, occupied by his work most of the time. However, thanks to the Kagebunshin, Sarutobi now had more time... a lot more time, to spare (Sarutobi actually suspected that this was how Minato managed to handle the job while still managing to spend time with his wife Kushina.). The way shadow clones think and act after all, was the same as their creator's, and would therefore judge any and all paperworks, as well as deal with people visiting his office, in the same way that the original would...

Yes, the use of shadow clones to help handle office affairs was indeed a brilliant idea... and the Sandaime was presently watching that particular girl who advised him to do so, training in a secluded, unutilized, hot spring, along with two others, which included Naruto...

Since Sarutobi now had time to spare, he had decided to do a better job of guarding Minato's son. For starters, he had ordered a member of the Aburame Clan, who had just recently joined the ANBU ops, to guard the boy from the distance on a 24-hour basis. The insect users, after all, were logical and fair minded, not to mention the fact that the particular masked ops he assigned actually spoke of the blonde in a positive light, for the boy had actually repaired many of said kekaichu user's household equipment...

Yes, the Sandaime could not help but feel glad, as well as feel proud of the young Uzumaki, who had somehow managed to win over many of the people in Konoha through his efforts, helpfulness and good nature. No longer was the child an outcast and shunned by everybody in the village. True, there were still people who hated him, but that number had been greatly reduced. Unfortunately, however, the group of people who had retained their hatred for the blonde...

...included the Hyuuga clan, one of the most powerful clans in Konoha...

In truth, after the incident in which one of his own ANBU tried to assassinate the one he was ordered to protect, the Third Hokage had discreetly summoned the clan head, Hyuuga Hiashi, to his office, and did not like what he found out...

While the man personally had no hand in the affair, as well as the fact that he did not seem to hold any hatred for the jinchuriki, Hiashi, despite being the clan leader, had been powerless to stop his kin from acting. Apparently, while he did not share their sentiment, most of the Hyuugas, which included the elders, unanimously agreed that the 'Demon Brat' needed to be put down, and Hiashi, no matter what he did, would be unable to override the decision of the elders (although they were constantly denying any involvement, lying in the Hokage's face), not to mention the fact that if he tried, the elders might remove him from being the clan head, or worse, remove him from the clan and place him and his family under the Caged Bird Seal.

In fact, the elders had actually contemplated on doing exactly that, when Hiashi had to be taken down and knocked out to stop him from saving his brother Hizashi, who had volunteered to die in his place as a means to prevent a war... And while Hiashi was presently the strongest Hyuuga, he would still be just one man against many, and would be unable to do anything...

"Lord Hokage," said a voice from behind the Sandaime, which belonged to a ninja wearing a white mask.

"What is it?" replied Sarutobi in an even tone. In truth, while the Sandaime was not surprised, that did not stop him from being irritated at being interrupted from what he was doing (He has presently stopped from watching the trio train and was indulged in his student's erotic book.). "And how did you know I was here?"

As the ANBU was wearing a mask, it was hard to tell how he was feeling at the moment, at seeing the Third Hokage, hiding inside the stock room, while reading a rather popular orange book (Of course the ANBU knew what it was, since he also owned a complete set of said novel up to date). The slight shrug on his shoulder, however, gave him away, as he continued talking with his superior.

"Your shadow clones dispelled so I was able to follow your chakra signature," said the masked shinobi monotonously. "Anyway, Lord Hokage, there is someone who wanted to talk to you... he is currently waiting for you at your office as we speak..."

"Who is it?" inquired the Sandaime, as he placed his copy of Icha-icha tactics into his pocket...

"Gekko Hayate..."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright. Another chapter out. Well, I must admit it was not easy task balancing out work and studies with this hobby of mine. In fact, currently I'm not even half-way done with what I have to do. However, as I was unable to think of anything anyways... I decided to drop it for a few hours and began writing this chapter instead...

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6: ASSEMBLY**

(Shikamaru POV)

"HEY!"

"OUT OF THE WAY!"

"AAARGH! YOU STEPPED ON MY FOOT!"

"LET ME SEE! LET ME SEE!"

In a certain place in the Hidden Leaf village, outside of the Hokage's office building, a fairly large group of people was causing a commotion, bustling and pushing at each other, so that they can get a better view...

For near the entrance to said building, a large streamer has been displayed, written in large letters, which read:

**Test your skills, teamwork and endurance, in the first ever, Hidden Leaf Village...**

**JR. SHINOBI SURVIVAL CHALLENGE**

**Age Limitation: 6-12**

**1st Prize- 10000 ryu**

**2nd Prize- 5000 ryu**

**3rd Prize- 2500 ryu**

**For more details please read the instructions posted at the announcement board...**

Yes, it was indeed the first that Konoha initiated such an event. And the announcement had caused quite a lot of excitement, especially among the younger generation, chatting, bickering and nearly quarrelling with each other, creating a lot of noise as they discussed the upcoming competition...

"Crap..." muttered a male voice darkly.

...A situation which a certain bummed-out, lazy Ninja Academy student who goes by the name Nara Shikamaru, found extremely annoying.

In truth, he did not actually want to be there in the place, for he already knew what it was about. His father after all, being a member of the Shinobi Council, was present during the meetings in which the approval and initiation of said tournament was being discussed, as well as during the finalization stages...

Unfortunately, his two friends, a blonde haired girl and a fa-healthy boy, who goes by the name Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Choji, managed to drag him along with them. Technically, his obe-healthy, friend was also uninterested in such things. Unfortunately, while it was the case, said person was quite easy to bribe and motivate... with 'food,' which was exactly what Ino did. Just like a good pet, the Akimichi, upon the Yamanaka's order, dragged the poor shadow manipulation jutsu user along with them...

And so, thanks to Ino, they wasted an entire morning, one which, as far as Shikamaru was concerned, could have been used for something much more productive... like resting, sleeping or relaxing. Even Choji began complaining, the moment that the potato chips which Ino had used to bribe him was completely consumed...

"AHHHH! THIS IS PERFECT!" cried the Yamanaka female in delight, as she managed to get her hands on one of the scrolls which a couple of ANBU had distributed to the crowd, probably just to stop them from being a bother in front of the Hokage Office Building and disrupting their work, while the two male members of the group could not help but groan in irritation, especially the Nara. For as Shikamaru analyzed, had they decided to come three hours later, they would have still managed to get the exact same information without having to go through much fuss and trouble. It would have actually been simpler if he had just told his friends about it, but his father had expressly forbidden him from mentioning the information to anyone, and so the obedient son could do nothing but obey.

"Hmmm... so the tournament will be held two weeks from now... and it says here that forming a team of three members is the main requirement for entering..." the Yamanaka female was muttering. "Well, I'm definitely going to try and get Sasuke-kun to join... so that means I need one more... I know, I'll try asking Neiji or Hinata...with them around, I'm sure we'll be the strongest team..."

"Hey! What about me?" asked Choji, who sounded slightly offended.

"Face it Choji, you're not strong enough... Sasuke-kun is much stronger than you and you know it," replied the Yamanaka, as she waved her hand in dismissal. "Now stop bothering me... I need some space to plan how to recruit them..."

The young Nara could not help but sigh as he watched his two companions, Choji looking crestfallen, undoubtedly remembering how the Uchiha had beaten him hands down during a Ninja Academy practical examination sparring, while Ino was once again in daydream mode, shouting out the imaginary conversations in her dream world from time to time like, 'you really are the best Sasuke-kun,' 'I love you too Sasuke-kun,' 'hold me tight, Sasuke-sama...'

Yes, Shikamaru could not help but feel frustrated, having predicted several possibilities. The chance for his female friend to recruit Sasuke, based from analyzing the situation, would be at around 0.1%, if not less. The brooding guy, as far as Shikamaru could tell, was not the kind of person who could work well with anyone, not to mention the fact that he undoubtedly hated fan girls. And while there was higher probability for either of the Hyuugas to be convinced, at around 49.2%, due to the fact the Ino's mind control technique is quite useful in battle, this will undoubtedly drop to just about the same as the Uchiha's the moment they find out that Ino was weak, not just physically, but also in her signature jutsu, owing to the fact that the girl had spent most of her time trying to make herself look beautiful instead of training to become stronger...

As the shadow jutsu user analyzed further, he could not help but scowl, as he realized that the scenario that was likely to play out...

... would be that Ino, unable to find anyone else, would drag him and Choji along to join the said tournament... a 99.9% possibility...

For while it was true that Shikamaru had the combination of being intelligent while being a lazy bum at the same time, and thus it was in his nature to take it easy and avoid trouble as much as possible... he was not the kind of person who would abandon his friends... Sloth though he may be, he springs into action for the sake of his comrades, even if he hated the stress that comes along with it. For Ino will undoubtedly join said tournament no matter what... and from the title of said event itself... he could not leave her to handle it alone...

"What a drag," said the Nara to himself, sighing, as he placed his hand on his forehead, walking in a hunch-backed manner, almost dragging his feet, as he, Ino and Choji headed for the Akimichi's favourite barbecue house...

**-BREAK-**

(Shino POV)

"KONOHA SENPUU!" shouted an enthusiastic voice as he twirled, launching a powerful round-house kick at his opponent. As his legs made contact with his adversary, however, his opponent's body suddenly turned into insects, which in turn swarmed on the one who launched the kick.

The thick-browed boy cursed to himself, as he fell to his knees, exhausted, his chakra being drained by the tiny creatures that were now crawling on his body.

"Do you yield?" inquired the boy, who was wearing sunglasses, and a jacket which covered up to half of his face.

"No, I can still fight," replied the boy, a stubborn look on his face, as he struggled to get up, despite the fact that the insects known as kekaichu had already drained him of most of his energy.

"You do know that it is pointless to continue this, right Lee?" inquired the sunglasses-wearing boy, whose name was Aburame Shino, who, despite the fact that his opponent had not surrendered, had withdrawn his insects, to make sure that his friend, who was also his sparring partner at the moment, would not be in danger of losing his life from extreme chakra exhaustion.

The boy in brown shirt with thick eyebrows, whose name was Rock Lee, slumped back to the ground, panting heavily...

"I guess I'm still not strong enough," said the thick-browed boy, who, despite his current predicament, still managed to smile. "I guess that means I need to INTENSIFY MY TRAINING FURTHER!" At this words the boy actually managed to stand up in a sudden burst of enthusiasm. However, his knees were not strong enough to support him, so Shino immediately moved forward to support his friend.

"You know, Lee," sighed Shino (who was wearing a smile but was covered by his jacket). "You are not weak. You're actually quite strong. It just happens that my fighting style has an ideal counter to taijutsu."

"It's true," added the sunglass-wearing boy, as he saw the sceptical look on the thick-browed boy's face. "If the two of us were to fight in hand to hand combat, I doubt I'd be able to last even ten seconds against you."

"Thanks for the encouragement, Shino," replied Lee sincerely. "I really appreciate it."

Sniff... sniff... "HOW TOUCHING!"

_Oh no,_ thought Shino to himself. The young boy wearing shades could not help but get a feeling of dread, recognizing as to who the voice belonged to.

"GAI SENSEI!" shouted the boy beside the Aburame.

The guy, who was Lee's teacher, and whose name was Maito Gai, had arrived at the scene, tears flowing down his eyes...

To Shino's dismay, he found part of his jacket getting soaked, as tears had also started falling like streams from his friend's wide eyes.

Sensing that he was in mortal peril, Shino tried to get away. Unfortunately, he was not fast enough, and thus he ended up caught in a brotherly, yet extremely humiliating, group hug.

"GAI SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

It actually took a minute or so, before the hug finally ended, and the Aburame could not help but feel thankful that there was no one around to watch his 'Spring Time of Youth humiliation', for the two had actually managed to compel him to join in their senseless rants, otherwise his torment would not end. Not that he thought badly of them. In fact, he actually found their company somehow comforting, for they were among the few who did not find him revolting (Due to him being an Aburame and having insects in his body, people tend to distance themselves from Shino.), and they had now somehow formed a bond of camaraderie The only thing that Shino hoped was that his best friend Lee would not completely follow in their over eccentric sensei's footsteps, and start wearing a similar horrible green jumpsuit... and seeing as the thick-browed boy was already picking up a lot of his teacher's habits, that was a terrifying possibility.

"Ahem, ahem..."coughed Maito Gai, clearing his throat. "Anyway, Lee, Shino... there is something I would like to discuss with you."

"What is it Sensei?"

The air had suddenly become rather tense, for the jounin, while still talking and looking happy and energetic, had suddenly become calmer and much more serious, as he handed out scrolls, one each, for Lee and Shino.

"Jr. Shinobi Survival Tournament..." muttered the thick-browed boy, as he read the scroll, while the young Aburame scanned his own copy silently and calculatingly...

When the insect user had finally finished reading, he rolled up his scroll, readjusting his shades, as he looked his sensei straight in the eyes (behind the sunglasses at least.)...

"So I assume you want us to participate in this competition?" Shino asked the man in the green jumpsuit.

"It is just a suggestion... although I really think it's a good idea," replied Maito Gai, as he got into his 'good bye pose'. "This is a good chance for you two to train and further improve your skills. Though of course, I will not force you into it if you don't want to."

The young Aburame placed his hand into his jacket then under his chin, as he started pondering about the advantages and disadvantages of joining. However, before he could start contemplating on the possibilities...

"OF COURSE WE'LL JOIN!" shouted a very enthusiastic Lee, as he gave Shino a rather strong part on the back (which made the insect user wince slightly). There's no way we'll miss such a great opportunity! Right Shino?"

"Hey, I haven't..." began the young Aburame...

"EXCELLENT!" shouted Gai, with a happy look on his face.

The insect user could not help but frown under his coat, for his two companions immediately jumped to conclusions, and had once again began ranting their youthful nonsense.

"But Gai sensei," Shino interrupted, trying to start and argument. "According to the rules, each group is required to have three members..."

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that," replied the jounin.

"So, you've already found someone who will join us?" asked Lee eagerly.

"No," replied Maito Gai, as he once again did his good guy pose, his well-brushed teeth flashing. "But I'll find one for you... don't you worry about it..."

At this, Shino had to use every ounce of strength and self-control in his being to stop himself from doing a face-palm. He was about to continue his argument, but was unable to do so, as he once again found himself trapped with Lee in a three-way hug, both of whom were shouting at the top of their voice.

_What have I gotten myself into?! _ sighed the Aburame to himself, cursing his misfortune.

**-BREAK-**

(Danzo POV)

In an unknown location in the Hidden Leaf Village, a man, whose body was covered in bandages, up to portion of his face, was walking to and from in a chamber, leaning on his cane as he did so... not that he needed to. In truth, it was a just facade, to make people believe that he was crippled. For in reality, while he wasn't exactly young, he was still in good fighting condition.

"So you are here," said the man calmly. If someone were to see him at that point in time, they would think that he was a crazy, senile, old man, for talking to empty space. The next second, however, a person wearing a mask, seemingly from nowhere, had suddenly appeared in a puff of smoke, where there used to be nothing but air.

"You wanted to see me, Danzo-sama?" inquired a female voice, belonging to the masked shinobi, as she bowed before her superior, who nodded briefly in response.

"Tell me," began the man whose name was Danzo, as he gazed at his subordinate intently. "Have you heard of the upcoming competition that was organized by Hiruzen?"

"I have, Danzo-sama," replied the masked kunoichi, as she handed his superior a scroll containing her report,

"You may take your leave," said the man, as his subordinate nodded, bowing once more, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

It was not easy to surprise someone like Shimura Danzo, a veteran shinobi pretending to be disabled, who was the leader of the Root, an organization he had secretly continued under the Sandaime's nose despite the orders for it to be disbanded, the purpose of which was 'to be the root that supports the tree called Konoha.' Yes, Danzo loved the village, and was willing to do everything in his power to protect it, even if it had to be through underhanded and immoral means.

Yes, and this was the reason why a rift had formed between him and Hiruzen. While it was true that the two of them have the same noble intentions, they have different views, methods, and philosophies on handling things. For the Third Hokage had preferred trying to solve problems through peaceful diplomatic means first, only using force as a last resort, something which Danzo resented. For the leader of the Root believed that negotiations are a waste of time, and only gives the enemy the opportunity to do more damage than they would have done had they been eliminated quickly... Yes, the two of them will probably never be able to agree on that matter, and in fact, Danzo had come to believe that time had not been kind to his old friend and rival, who he believed had become even softer as he grew in age...

Which is why the leader of Root could not help but feel shocked at the recent development. For Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, had actually made a move which he (Danzo) actually approved of...

In truth, Danzo had not been in Konoha during the time that it was being debated upon, having just returned from his travel, busy with top-secret Root-related matters, all of which of course, were meant for the good of the Hidden Leaf Village. And during his travels, when an informant told him about it, he had actually waved it off as irrelevant, believing that it was just another move by the Sandaime to further strengthen his freedom loving ways and give opportunity to unworthy people to become shinobi, thereby weakening the village, just for the sake of trying to please the masses. However, when Danzo read the report given to him by his female subordinate, he could not help but be surprised...

For while it was true that said tournament was disguised as a happy affair, that was exactly that... a disguise. For the trials which await those who will competing in the Shinobi Survival Challenge...

Were comparable in difficulty to the hardships and training that members of the ANBU Root Division had to endure.

It was a clever ruse, to not announce the details of the competition to the participants before it begins... as well as the fact that all participating individuals will have to sign a waiver that Konoha will not be responsible in case anything untoward happens to them, knowing full well the risk of what they were doing... if they lose an eye, an arm, or get themselves killed, they have no one to blame but themselves.

Also, there were no fail-safes in the trials and challenges, save for the presence of some ANBU who will rescue any of those who fall, though they were strictly instructed not to help unless a participant surrendered or was either dead, knocked out or irrefutably too injured or disabled to continue. And they cannot interfere with an occurring battle except in the final rounds... Not to mention the fact that those competing will not even be informed of their presence...

Yes, it was shocking, especially to Danzo, that Hiruzen would allow... no... not just allow... but suggest such a deadly competition, especially due to the fact that it was an all-Hidden Leaf Village activity, not one which involves representatives from different villages like the chunin exams (Since the chunin and jonin exams had rules and regulations agreed upon between the participating villages, Hiruzen's motions of increased safety had been rejected.). The fact that the Sandaime would make young children participate in such a dangerous event, not to mention the fact that he was making them sign their own death warrants...

_It seems like I have misjudged you, my old friend,_ thought Danzo to himself, surprised to find that he had no complaints whatsoever with the tournament (except perhaps the prize money part, which in his opinion, was too large an amount) that his old rival had organized, as well as feeling some of the respect he previously had for Sarutobi that was lost returning. For he could see the many positive results that could come from his plan, and one of them would be a major impact on Konoha's shinobi system, especially the quality of education at the Ninja Academy, which Danzo believed had gone way below standard...

_Perhaps I should send some of my men to participate,_ mused the Leader of the Root, as he performed some handseals, to inform some of the younger members of the ANBU Root Division to report to him immediately...

**-BREAK-**

(Hiashi POV)

CRASH!

THUD!

A young, white-eyed boy struggled to stand up with difficulty. Crack marks had appeared on the wall of the dojo which he had been sent flying into by the attack. Despite his chakra point getting compromised, the boy tried to resume a stance, but before he could do so, his opponent, without giving him time to recover, was already upon him, to strike once again, and there was nothing he could do to defend himself, would be unable to position himself in time to block the incoming offensive...

"Enough!" said a voice sternly, which belonged to the clan head, Hiashi Hyuuga.

"Yes, Father," answered the girl to the command in a monotonous tone, as she stopped her attack, though her eyes indicated that she had not yet dropped her guard: her Byakugan was still active.

The boy, however, did not seem to have any intention of continuing the spar anyway, nor would he have been able if he wanted to, with the number of blows he received. It was actually a miracle that he was still conscious up to that point.

"Well done, Hinata-sama," said the boy, whose name was Neiji, managing a smile despite wincing in pain, as he praised his opponent, who had managed to outdo him in every way.

The girl, however, did not respond to his words, simply turning her back on him, before walking out of the dojo, without another word, a dark look present on her face.

"It seems that Fate had been wrong about her after all," muttered the boy, before he collapsed to the floor, unconscious, the fatigue and injuries he had received taking its toll.

"Father, what happened to Onee-san?" inquired a trembling girl by Hiashi's side, whose name was Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister, as two clan members carried Neiji's body out of the room to be sent for treatment.

"I don't know, Hanabi," replied the Hyuuga clan head, whose voice, despite being monotonous for the most part, had a slight trace of nervousness . "I don't know..."

The turn of events was indeed unexpected. Hiashi, upon seeing that Hinata was weak, and had neither the drive nor talent, had taken her birthright away from her and instead made Hanabi, his second daughter, the clan heir, and the one to succeed him.

The Hyuuga clan head did not know when or how the change in Hinata came about, for in the past few years, he had given his full attention to his second daughter. However...

After witnessing what just happened, the Hyuuga clan head could not help but feel that he may have made a rash decision.

It had been a most unnerving experience for Hiashi Hyuuga, as he watched his eldest daughter, Hinata, literally destroy her opponent in their sparring match, without even utilizing the Caged Bird Seal Technique against said opponent (Members of the Hyuuga Main Family, like Hinata, can immediately bring members of the Hyuuga Branch Family, like Neiji, to their knees using said Seal, without much effort.). But what made it even more shocking was the fact that her opponent was Neiji, who was, at present, already in the upper tier of the clan in terms of skill and fighting ability...

The young man was undoubtedly the most talented Hyuuga of his generation, despite being a member of the Branch Family.

... or not...

"Father?" said a cold, female voice from behind the Hyuuga clan head.

"Yes, Hinata?" inquired Hiashi in a monotonous tone, as he turned around to face the girl.

"I would like to ask for your permission to allow me to participate in the upcoming Jr. Shinobi Survival Challenge, which will be held next week," replied his eldest daughter, bowing her head, as she handed him a scroll which contained the details of the competition she wanted to enter.

In truth, Hiashi knew about the tournament. After all, he was there all throughout its deliberation, being a member of the Shinobi Council, and most of the details, not to mention the kind of trials which await the participants, having added his own suggestions to the plan. However...

"Tell me," began the Hyuuga Head after a while. "Why do you wish to participate?"

"I merely wish to test myself, Father," replied the girl simply.

Hiashi could not help but look at his eldest daughter in surprise, feeling nervous, yet proud at the same time, as he saw the strong will that was now present in her cold white eyes, which had not been there before.

"Are you sure that that is the only reason, Hinata?" inquired the girl's father, looking at her intently.

The girl remained quiet, which made the man suspect that his daughter had other reasons for joining. Still...

"Very well, you have my permission," said Hiashi finally, as he handed back the scroll back to her daughter.

"Thank you very much, Father," replied Hinata, with a respectful bow.

While it was true that he was shocked at the change in Hinata, he could not help but feel happy at the fact that the girl had finally gotten some self confidence. Even though the change in her attitude was quite unnerving, having turned from being shy and bashful to someone quiet and straightforward, Hiashi would give her his full support...

"However, we need to find two people to accompany you," stated the clan head, knowing about the three-member team entry rule. "Unless of course, you already have someone in mind?"

"None Father... I will go with whoever you recommend," replied Hinata respectfully. "However, please choose those who will not be a hindrance... either because they are weak, or because in the midst of battle, they become too overprotective of me, more than what is necessary. I do not want anyone getting in my way..."

An eerie silence passed, as Hiashi stared at her daughter Hinata in shock, whose eyes were not just alight with confidence, but were now burning, having activated her Byakugan... with cold fury, with a hatred... that was even stronger than the one in Neiji's eyes... emanating a hostile intent which made Hinata's younger sister and Hyuuga heiress, Hanabi, nearly fall to her knees, trembling in fear, as the Head of the Hyuuga clan heard his elder daughter mutter words that she was saying to herself, wearing an uncharacteristic cruel smile on her face...

"I swear... I know you're not one to pass up an opportunity like this... just you wait... I'm going to make you pay for what you did..."

"... Haruno Sakura..."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, currently I'm in a bit of a dilemma... a writer's block as you call it, with my other fanfic, so for those who read both this story and my other crossover, A New Fate... well, sorry about that. Still, I'll try to update it as soon as I can. For the time being, I'm using the rest of my free time on this one, since I currently have some ideas to add, a bit of plot and story perhaps, and all that's needed is for me to organize them.

As for the reason why I'm saying it here, well, obviously it's because it's against fanfiction rules to post an Author's Notes as an entire chapter. True, there are many writers who violate this rule and get away with it, but hey, I'd rather not risk it, cause I might end up doing it in real life as well even if the admin of fanfiction are very understanding and lenient to us enthusiastic writers, and I'd rather avoid that situation.

I remember this friend of mine who got into a most awkward and humiliating situation in Singapore because he brought out his cigar and started smoking in a no smoking zone, and not in the designated areas where it was allowed... well, I won't get into the details although I'm sure many of you know what happened to him... places like Singapore can be quite strict on these things after all...

But enough about that...

P.S. I did a bit of editing in Chapter 1, in the first four paragraphs. There was one word there that someone might notice and it would cause a bit of problem and confusion for my storyline. Honestly, I was just using the word as a substitute for 'ninja' or 'shinobi' but hey at least I managed to fix that particular blunder early on.

I almost forgot that 'genin,' while synonymous to 'ninja' in a way, also signifies a rank, so I had to replace the word with 'kunoichi' instead, due to 'certain reasons.'

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7: PREMONITION OF A STORM**

(Sarutobi POV)

"As you command, Hokage-sama," said a voice, as two dozen masked shinobi, ANBU, left the Sandaime's office, almost as if vanishing into thin air.

Sarutobi was now looking at the clear, starry sky outside his window feeling tense, for it was the day when the event he had proposed, the Shinobi Survival Challenge, would begin, in six hours, at eight o'clock in the morning...

No, to say that it was his plan would not be the right way to put it. For while all the positive and negative reactions to having it approved, as well as all the future praises and complaints after it has been initiated, would be aimed at the Hokage, in reality, the Sandaime was not the one who had thought of this particular plan. For in truth, the idea had come from a certain pink-haired girl.

As Sarutobi continued looking at the window of his office as he smoked on his pipe, he could not help but feel impressed, yet at the same time, wonder in curiosity, about that particular person. A ten-year old girl, who goes by the name Haruno Sakura.

In truth, the Hokage was actually impressed with the young female, who he had now come to see like his own granddaughter, pretty much in the same way that he viewed Naruto. The pinkette, was, overall, talented, and might actually even be considered a prodigy, as far as his observation goes, especially in kenjutsu. In fact, one of the best sword-wielding shinobi in the village has paid the Sandaime a visit some time before, with a request.

The man, whose name was Gekko Hayate, had come to the Hokage's office, asking if there was any possibility to bypass the Ninja Academy and allow him to have three particular youngsters to become genin and placed into one team, with him(Hayate), as the team leader.

The kenjutsu expert tokabatsu jonin was known to be a reclusive type, avoiding becoming part of any team, as team leader or not, and the only times he did not show any irritation towards team missions was when Yugao was part of said group. Not that he was bad at cooperating with others. In fact, in the few team missions he had participated in, the reports showed that Hayate was an excellent team player, as well as someone who greatly cared for his comrades. Still, overall, most of the missions he had taken, which included assassination, espionage, and even mundane ones like cleaning a house, were solo ones. He simply did not like being around others.

Which was why the Sandaime could not help but be surprised. The man who he knew did not like working with others had actually become interested in forming a team of his own. And the people he wanted in his team...

Were Naruto and his two female companions...

_Flashback_

"_... those three, I can feel the pressure of a swordsman coming from them, especially that girl, Haruno Sakura, Lord Hokage. That girl had actually approached me to ask for some kenjutsu training, as if she could tell from my presence that I was good with swords, and based from her performance in our sparring sessions, despite her young age, her strange kenjutsu is already at jonin level, at high chunin at the very least. Even I wasn't that good when I was her age..."_

_End of Flashback_

Haruno Sakura was indeed talented, and has the potential to become a great ninja. For aside from her skill with the blade, the girl was actually also, despite her young age, rather accomplished with the other ways of the shinobi. For starters, she could already walk on trees and on water, and while the Sandaime had not yet seen her use ninjutsu (Sarutobi, after all was a busy man due to his position as Hokage, and could not keep his eye on Naruto, and in turn Sakura at all times, and while at present his workload was reduced due to his unorthodox usage of the shadow clone jutsu, it was still a lot, and he had to balance the freetime he had acquired between watching over the village, spending time with Konohamaru, keeping an eye on Naruto, and reading Icha-icha), the Hokage was sure that she was able to, although as to what her element was, the Hokage was not sure of. The only technique that the Sandaime knew the girl could do was creating messenger familiars, and its mechanism was something that even he could not decipher. However, this was not the only thing she could do...

For what actually impressed Sarutobi the most, was not her skill and talent in the different arts of a ninja, but her ability...

To teach her skills and knowledge to others...

In all the long years of his life, Sarutobi Hiruzen had seen many talented shinobi, who had shown a lot of potential and promise despite their young age, which included the son of the White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Kakashi, as well as some people from the various clans in the village.

However, this was the first time he had actually seen someone who, despite being so young, already had the ability to impart what they know to other people. Haruno Sakura was the first person that the Sandaime Hokage had seen who had the potential to become, not just a great shinobi, but also a great sensei, and she had used this particular ability of hers to teach and train Naruto throughout the years.

While at first Sarutobi was not pleased when he found out that the young Uzumaki did not attend the Ninja Academy, his opinion in the matter changed when he saw how the pinkette had been training the blonde. In fact, when he saw that the blonde had managed to get the acceptance of many, due to his kind and helpful nature, the Third Hokage had actually begun having second thoughts about the boy becoming a ninja, agreeing with the opinion of Haruno Sakura (While the girl was teaching Naruto on the ways of the shinobi, Sarutobi knew that it was only so that he can defend himself. The Sandaime knew that the pinkette did not want the blonde to become one.) and actually considered trying to place a more permanent and powerful seal on the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, believing that Naruto deserved a more peaceful and comfortable life, after all he had to go through, becoming the sacrifice, the jailor, of the Bijuu, in order to save the village.

Unfortunately, however, circumstances would not permit it. For while he had indeed gained acceptance in the eyes of many, there were still a number of people who hated Naruto and wanted him dead. And to make matters worse, among them were powerful and influential people in Konoha. The Hyuuga incident was proof of that. There was no other choice. Naruto had to become a shinobi.

In truth, Sarutobi could not help but be surprised with himself, for he actually found himself grateful to his old former teammate and rival, Shimura Danzo. For the man was the one responsible for suggesting and passing laws which gave a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, even genin, the ones at the lowest rank, more privilege than the normal civilian. For starters, if a shinobi killed a civilian, he can avoid trial and is not required to pay compensation for the man he killed, as long as he can prove that his action was justified (Not to mention the fact that the word of a shinobi is given more credit than that of a civilian, even if there were many of them, in the eyes of Konoha's system unless solid evidence, and not words or civilian eyewitness accounts, can disprove the claim), something which a civilian would not be able to do under normal circumstances (Had Sarutobi not used his influence, not to mention the fact that the Hyuuga clan were treading carefully, as well as the fact the head of said clan, Hiashi Hyuuga, was against what they did, there was a grave possibility that Naruto, due to the fact that he was not a shinobi despite being the one assailed, may have been incarcerated or even executed.).

Yes, the only way to reduce the possibility of such a scenario to play out again would be for the blonde to become a ninja. However, the only way for one to become one would be to successfully graduate from the Ninja Academy, and seeing as many of the teachers there, who themselves were shinobi, had not dropped their hatred for the boy who they believed was the Demon Fox who had taken the lives of their loved ones, the chance of him passing, even if he were to perform satisfactorily, was low...

And it was this particular circumstance which led to a discovery that made Sarutobi feel uneasy, not just with Naruto and his future, but also...

...with the blonde's best friend, Sakura...

He knew. Sarutobi already knew in a way what the girl was like. She was a rather composed individual, and quite mature despite her age, who seemed to fit the 'actions speak louder than words' bill perfectly. She doesn't talk much, except when giving her two friends lectures, and the Sandaime had never heard her raise her voice before, although he had to admit that when the pinkette was angry, her way of letting out her temper and tantrum was comparable to the way used by his former student Tsunade did, with the exception of course of the loudmouthing and swearing session. In fact, Sarutobi had actually witnessed her at it a couple of times when the young Uzumaki did something that upset her, and it was... well, at least it was productive pain, more psychological (due to the extreme fear she can put the blonde in without even doing anything yet) than physical that did not involve any true intent to harm (though as punishment, the mental attack was still quite severe). Sometimes, simple silence can actually hurt much more than shouting aloud at a person. However...

After the Hyuuga incident, the Sandaime had seen a side of Haruno Sakura which he had never seen before, which was rather disturbing and worrysome...

Yes, thanks to her idea, which the Sandaime could not help but consider as quite brilliant, not just due to her age, but in overall retrospect, since it gave the young Uzumaki the opportunity to become a shinobi without attending the Ninja Academy. In fact, from what Sarutobi could tell, Sakura had actually proven herself to be at par, if not better, than the teachers at said school. However, the Third Hokage could not help but worry, for the proposal which the pinkette had suggested, was quite risky and dangerous, and it actually went against some of the principles and morals which Sarutobi had been upholding. And as the Sandaime pondered more about it, he could not help but see a similarity between the girl's way of thinking...

... to the mindset of his old rival, Shimura Danzo...

In truth, the Hokage had been convinced. Despite the fact that it was against his own code, the girl was able to effectively explain and justify her side, enough for the Hokage to accept her idea, although he presented it with a bit of modification (Since Sakura planned to enter said competition with her friends, while the Sandaime did not change the general objective, he did modify and add some ideas of his own, since it was only fair that she did not know what she will be up against.). In fact, Sarutobi actually thought that it was high-time that something was done about the declining quality of shinobi education, and the pinkette's suggestion could actually pave the way for it, in a manner that was less likely to upset the liberalists who were against violence, in power. However, while this was indeed the case, and that the Third Hokage was in complete agreement with it...

...The fact that such a clever and underhanded ruse could come from someone so young was very disturbing...

For someone so young to have such a grasp of politics was something that the Sandaime never expected. There were actually times when the Sandaime was talking with Sakura, that he could not help but feel that he was talking to another Kage, another King or Daimyo, someone who had the skill and charisma to lead a nation. And to top it off, the strangest part of this matter was that not only did the girl seem to have the makings of a natural born leader, it also seemed as if she herself had a lot of personal experience on that matter...

Yes, the girl had a lot of convincing power, the fact alone that she was able to make Sarutobi agree with some of her notions when someone like Danzo could not was proof of that. However, there was something else, something which the Sandaime found much more worrying than even this particular aspect, because of something which happened the day before...

_Flashback_

"_Naruto's father... he was a great man wasn't he?" said the girl absentmindedly, as she stared at a picture on the wall of the Hokage's office._

"_Indeed he was... wait... how did you know that?!" inquired the Sandaime, shock written all over his face, a panicked tone in his voice, as he realized that the pinkette was staring at the picture of Namikaze Minato. "How did you know that the Yondaime is Naruto's father?"_

"_What? The Yondaime is Naruto's father?" said the girl, with a look of surprise on her face..._

_End of Flashback_

It was a mortifying experience for the Third Hokage. The fact that Naruto was the Yondaime's son has been a well-kept secret in the village, even more so than his connection with the Nine-Tailed Fox. In fact, no one, save for a select few, knew about it. Had it been known in the village who his father was, then the people might have easily seen the boy as the vessel of the bijuu, not the bijuu itself, and would probably have been worshipped as a hero, just like Minato and Kushina, the boy's parents, wanted. However, even if that happened...

Even if the boy was seen as a hero, the Sandaime also knew too well the consequences of having such information known publicly. Minato, the Fourth Hokage, after all, was known as the Yellow Flash of Konoha, and had vanquished numerous enemies for the sake of the Hidden Leaf Village, which naturally meant that he had made a lot of enemies. And unlike most of the people in Konoha, who could be restrained (although sadly, not to the level that Sarutobi wished) from killing the blonde out of spite for the fox, using the laws, as well as pressure from the Sandaime himself, the same could not be said for the people who were not part of village. There were those who were undoubtedly furious with the Yondaime, and would definitely do everything in their power to kill his offspring. Unlike the people of the Hidden Leaf Village, they were not under the Sandaime's control, and therefore, cannot be restrained. In fact, Sarutobi could not help but feel that had he not concealed the secret, the blonde would not even alive at present...

And now, for the Sandaime to discover that Haruno Sakura knew about all this, it was mortifying. No... the girl did not know about it, but had her suspicions... and Sarutobi was foolish enough to make the mistake of confirming it for her...

Yes, the girl can be quite manipulative with words, and she was so skilled at it, that even someone as experienced as the Third Hokage fell for her psychological assaults. Sarutobi could not help but feel that he was at fault, realizing that he must have been the one who passively put that idea in her head in the first place. For his habit of looking at the Fourth Hokage's Picture, even just a quick glance, whenever Naruto was the topic, must have been noticed by the pinkette, who he knew was a very observant person... and then, having been caught off guard, the old Hokage ended up spilling the beans to her...

Yes, the situation became problematic because of his one slip, for no matter what he did, he could not convince the girl not to tell Naruto about his heritage. Sarutobi could have the girl executed or brainwashed, but that was something which the elderly Kage would not do, for he had come to love the pinkette like his own granddaughter. Still, Sakura did say that she will wait for the right time to tell him (Naruto) about it so it was fine. However, it was not enough to curb the Sandaime's worry, and in fact, his dread and nervousness had actually increased tenfold...

In the times that Sakura had visited the Hokage's office, among which visits were due to her fetching the blonde after being caught by ANBU ops doing mischief, the old man could not help but feel slightly uneasy at times, whenever he looked at the pinkette... and after the previous day's incident, the uneasiness had grown into a full-blown worry...

For in all the times that he had a chat with the girl, he had not been able to shake off the feeling, whenever he looked the pinkette straight in the eyes, that there was someone else there, who was staring back at him. And now, his suspicion had greatly increased, for Sarutobi had felt a surge of hostility, an aura that was filled with hate and malice, coming from the pinkette, one that did not feel like her own, when they had delved on the topic concerning the Yondaime...

_No, that's impossible,_ thought Sarutobi, trying to forget the thought and clear his mind, as he went back off to his desk to start taking care of his paperwork, forgetting, due to being too deep in thought, to create shadow clones to do it for him, staring at the picture of Namikaze Minato...

For the dark aura which Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, had noticed emanating from the girl, whose name was Haruno Sakura, was unpleasantly familiar, strangely and too closely similar to the feeling of dread which he had felt, a few years before, coming from none other than...

... the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the Nine-tailed Demon Fox...

**-BREAK-**

(Sakura POV)

In a certain place in the Hidden Leaf Village, three young people were starting to walk towards their intended destination... well, that is until a certain blonde-haired boy was overwhelmed with excitement and started running instead of walking, despite the fact that there was still an hour for the event to begin.

'_Kurama?'_

"YEAH! TODAY'S FINALLY THE DAY!" shouted Naruto enthusiastically, as he dashed forward.

"HEY!" shouted Tenten in annoyance, before increasing her own pace to keep up, while a certain pinkette, sighing, did the same.

'_Kurama?'_ thought Sakura mentally, as she also sped up. After all, a little warm-up like a running exercise before the tourney would actually do them more good than harm.

Still, there was no response.

The pinkette could not help but sigh at the fact that the kitsune was ignoring her. Upon checking her mindscape, Sakura noticed that the fox's presence was not there, which meant that she was probably back in her body in the Yondaime's seal, which was not normal for her, seeing as she(Kurama) had been taking residence in Sakura's mind almost all of the time in the past four years...

Ever since the events of the previous day in the Sandaime's office, the fox had become quiet, which was, as far as Sakura had known her, was quite unusual for her. For Kurama, overall, was a rather cheerful being, and was actually fond of teasing and making fun of Sakura whenever the opportunity presented itself, almost to the point (well, probably already at that point) of being a sadist at it. Yet as of the moment, the kitsune in question, instead of continually harassing the pinkette with her taunts, was keeping some distance...

'_You know...it wasn't your fault,'_ said Sakura, sending her thought to the kitsune, having sensed the emotions coming from her bijuu friend. (Due to the connection between them, the pinkette was able to converse with Kurama even if her consciousness was inside the seal.).

"HEY, HURRY UP!" shouted the young Uzumaki, who, as Sakura was brought out of her thought, she saw was currently waving his hand at him.

The pinkette, upon seeing this, nodded her head in response, as she continued to move with her friends towards their destination.

'_I guess I'll have to settle this later,'_ thought Sakura, making a mental reminder to herself. She and the fox were going to have a long talk once the day was over. For the time being, however, the pinkette had to focus her attention on the crucial task at hand...

**-BREAK-**

(Kurama POV)

Inside of her prison in the seal on the young Uzumaki's stomach, a certain giant nine-tailed fox was currently curled up at its furthest corner. Despite the fact that the kitsune emitted a lot of heat which was able to ward off the dampness of the sewers, the fox, whose name was Kurama, was actually trembling, not because of the cold, but because of the fact that she was angry.

No, Kurama was not just angry. She was very angry. Angry with Uchiha Madara for controlling and manipulating her. Angry with the First Hokage for managing to wound her. Angry with the Uzumaki Clan for capturing and sealing her. She was angry with the Yondaime and his wife for greatly diminishing her power, as well as sealing her up once again into their son, using the forbidden jutsu Reaper Death Seal, summoning the shinigami that weakened the kitsune.

Yes, Kurama hated every single being she had ever met in her long, long life. But most of all...

...she was angry at a certain pink-haired girl who goes by the name Haruno Sakura. Kurama hated her, despised her, she was furious with her. For the girl, in the past few years, had been trying to deceive the kitsune with her false friendship, so the fox, in turn, decided to play along and...

'_**?!'**_ growled the kitsune, before laughing... an empty, hollow, laugh that did not contain any happiness.

'_**Just who am I kidding?' **_thought the fox bitterly, realizing that she had just told herself a lie. And a kitsune, while skilled in the art of deceiving others... never lied to themselves...

The day before, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, had summoned Sakura to his office to ask some questions, regarding her(Kurama's) vessel, Uzumaki Naruto, asking the pinkette how his training was coming along. Not that he needed to, a point in which Sakura and the kitsune shared the same opinion, for both of them knew that the old man, whatever it was, had means to keep track of their movements... especially the blonde. In fact, there was a time in the past when the pinkette ended up cutting down a number of trees in the training ground to ease her fury, to which the fox doubled up in laughter. For the kitsune actually suggested that it was possible that whatever method the Hokage had, he might have also been using it to take a peek at girls who were taking a bath...

Yes, it had been a normal part of the pinkette's routine to occasionally pay the Sandaime a visit, mostly due to the blonde's pranking habit (though it had been greatly reduced due to the fact that the blonde had been occupied with more important matters.). However, this time, something else happened, which made things different...

For the pinkette, in an indirect manner, attempted to pry some information from the old man regarding a certain suspicion she had... a suspicion which Sakura managed to confirm... the suspicion, that her blonde friend, Uzumaki Naruto...

...was the son of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage...

To say that Kurama was surprised would be an understatement. For she had never, not even once, in the four years that she had known her, realized that Sakura had such suspicions regarding her(Kurama's) vessel's parents... However, as the fox considered the rumors flying all around the Hidden Leaf Village, it should have come as no surprise. The boy was the 'Nine-tailed Demon Brat...' the Yondaime defeated the 'Demon Fox,' and thus turned it into the brat... Not to mention the Third Hokage's passive impulses of looking at the Fourth's picture whenever Naruto was the center of the topic... how could Kurama not have realized?

And as the kitsune absorbed this piece of information, she felt herself become overwhelmed by an uncontrollable feeling of rage and bloodlust, and it actually took Sakura an enormous effort to prevent her from attacking the Sandaime, who had been the focus of Kurama's killing intent.

For in the past few years, aside from allowing the fox to enter her mind, Sakura had also let the kitsune take control of her body from time to time. It did not last long, of course, and the longest amount of time they managed to switch was at around ten minutes. It was, however, enough time for Kurama to stretch out and get some fresh air, as well as enjoy eating her favourite dishes. It had been difficult keeping this fact a secret, especially since it took the kitsune a while to learn how to use the body in the way it should be, like walking in an upright manner and using chopsticks. There was actually a near-miss that was too close for comfort, when Naruto almost walked in on the pinkette crouched on all fours, and it was only through Sakura's quick thinking, immediately switching with the fox, then pretended to have lost her balance and fell on the floor, that the blonde did not notice...

And now, this particular secret was in danger of being divulged. Based from the reaction on the old Hokage's face, no matter how slight and almost unreadable it was... there was no doubt about it, he had noticed. The man was no fool after all, and despite the fact that he was a kindly old man, he was also a powerful and experienced shinobi. And with the amount of killing intent Kurama released, despite not doing anything... it was unlikely for the Sandaime not to have noticed anything...

Having realized what she had done, the kitsune immediately left Sakura's mind, and went back to her body that was trapped inside its vessel...

'_Kurama...'_

Kurama had tried, tried her best, to ignore Haruno Sakura, who had tried talking to her after the incident. The kitsune feigned a deaf ear, pretending to be asleep, pretending not to hear her, pretending not to see the girl standing outside of her cage...

'_Kurama...'_

Yes, the fox was angry, boiling with rage... however, her anger was not aimed at the First Hokage, nor was it aimed at the Yondaime or even Uchiha Madara. For in truth, the one that Kurama was furious with was none other...

... than herself...

In the past, the kitsune would have never thought it possible... for there to be someone in existence, aside from the Sage, who would accept her, not because she can be used as a powerful weapon... but because of who she truly was... Yet now...

The fox could not help but shiver in her cell, as another emotion overwhelmed her ... Despite everything she did, despite the fact that she was responsible for the death of so many... despite the fact that the pinkette knew that it was her who caused the death of Naruto's parents, as well as the fact that she (Kurama) was the reason why he was persecuted by the village... Despite the fact that the kitsune had lost control of her negative emotions in front of the Third Hokage and nearly got Sakura killed...

'_... it wasn't your fault...'_

Things had been simpler before... much simpler, in fact, when rage was the only emotion that she had. Yet now...

'_**Sakura... why did I have to end up meeting someone like you?' **_thought the kitsune in lament, as a tear dropped from one of her large red eyes, which were no longer filled with hatred and fury... but with guilt and sadness...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

"Look who it is..." muttered a voice in amusement.

"Well if it isn't the deadlast..."

"No, she's worse... she's a dropout..."

A vein started popping on a certain bun-haired girl's forehead, and had just opened her mouth to speak, in a stance that one could easily tell as that of someone who was ready to charge at someone, when she found a hand grasp her firmly on the shoulder...

"Ignore them, Tenten," said a female voice sternly, belonging to a certain pink-haired girl, as she shook her head.

The girl, after a while finally managed to settle down, her shoulders relaxing, though she was still grinding her teeth, glaring in the direction of her former classmates, who were looking at her in laughter.

It was half past seven in the morning. On top of the Hokage Monument, a large group of young people could be seen, for it was the assembly point for the event that was about to start. Some actually had their parents tagging along with them with worried looks on their faces, while masked shinobi started collecting scrolls, two each, from the participants... one was the personal contract signed by the competitors, which states that if anything untoward happened to them, Konoha will not be held responsible... and the other one was their parents' permits, with pretty much the same conditions...

"Do we really have to sign this?" one of the parents asked an ANBU, her hands shaking, as she looked at the contract in her hand.

"No," replied the ANBU automatically. "Though of course, that would mean that your son will be disqualified and will not be allowed to participate..."

And at the moment, a certain blonde-haired boy, whose name was Uzumaki Naruto, was feeling quite uncomfortable. Everything they needed was in order, with Tenten's father signing for both her daughter and for Sakura (since Mr. and Mrs Haruno had assigned him as her guardian), while the Hokage himself signed Naruto's parents' permit as his guardian since he was an orphan (although discreetly). However, he still could not help but feel nervous...

Yes, he had already known, that the life of a shinobi was the life of one who was always risking his life, and to a ninja, having his life constantly in mortal peril is just about part of their daily routine. However, while it was true that Naruto was indeed afraid of death, especially since the permit already indicated that the challenges that lie ahead of them could prove to be fatal, he actually did not fear his own demise. For the fear he felt, was not for his own well-being... but for Sakura's and Tenten's...

However, he also knew that he had to keep his emotions in check, for if he were to let it overwhelm him, it would only put him and his two companions at greater risk. In fact, the moment that Tenten's former classmates had insulted her, the blonde actually had a half-mind to jump them, and had he not restrained himself, he probably would have done so...

Taking an analytical view of things, as well as surprising himself for managing to keep himself from shouting out aloud in his flurry of emotions, the young Uzumaki began scanning his surroundings, to try and get information on the other participants...

Overall, not counting themselves, the adults, and the ANBU, there were exactly fifty-seven people around, which meant that as of present, they would have more or less nineteen teams to compete with, not yet counting those who have not yet arrived. Most of them were not really familiar to Naruto, and thus he made a mental note to ask his two friends about them, especially Tenten, who seemed to be familiar with many of them. The blonde, however, did recognize some of them by face...

"What a drag..."

... a lazy-looking boy, yawning, who was standing together with a loudmouthed blonde girl and a fat boy who was presently eating some junk food.

"SPRING TIME OF YOUTH!"

"STOP IT LEE!" shouted two voices together.

"WOOF!"

...a boy who was wearing a horrible green jumpsuit, trapping his two companions in a scandalously humiliating brotherly hug that got the attention of plenty of onlookers, while a puppy was bouncing happily on the head of one of them...

"I feel sorry for them," sighed Tenten, as she watched the trio sympathetically.

The young Uzumaki could not help but cringe slightly, for he also pitied the thick-bowed boys' two companions...

"KYAAA!" shouted five female voices suddenly in delight.

"?!" thought the blonde as he, along with Sakura and Tenten, turned around to see the source of the commotion.

The blonde, however, was shocked, not because of the screams, but due to the fact that the people who had just entered the area...

...were releasing a hostile intent...

"?!"

"Sakura-chan?" the blonde asked his best friend quietly.

The young Uzumaki could not help but gulp in nervousness, feeling beads of sweat forming on his forehead, as he noticed the familiar aura spike up in hostility from beside him, at a level that he had never felt it at before, and it was only matched in strength by another hostile intent that had also shot up, which belonged to...

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," said a female voice sweetly, belonging to a blue-haired girl that was staring at the blonde, flanked by two boys, one with cold white eyes that were identical to the girl's, while the other was wearing a blue shirt and had deep black eyes, the color of which was only matched by his hair...

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Yeah, I actually did not have much time to write in the past few days, mainly due to the fact that I have a lot of things to do, though I am glad that I managed to finish this one.

Now, as an answer to some of the reviews.

Firstly, Hinata is not Matou Sakura. Yeah, I kind of half-expected that someone might speculate that, but no she is not. As of the moment, I am still debating on whether or not to add a few more characters from Type-Moon Universe in the next chapters. However, as of present, I have no intention of making out any of the other canon Naruto characters as reincarnations. True, there will be some changes in their nature perhaps, both major and minor, due to the different experiences they had, owing to the fact that Naruto took a different path by not attending the Ninja Academy, as well as the fact that he had become rather popular and in demand to a number of people due to being the local handyman. (Though it is likely he is despised even more by those whose businesses are along that line, and it's not because of the fox, definitely.).

And as for the reason why Hinata hates Sakura... well... it will be revealed eventually in the succeeding chapters...

Yeah, and as for the identity of some of the participants, based from the descriptions, I'm sure most of you have probably figured it out without me even mentioning their names yet...

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8: TOURNAMENT PART 1-1**

(Naruto POV)

"Good morning, Naruto-kun... It's been a while, hasn't it?"

A certain blonde-haired boy could not help but feel nervous, really very nervous, for he noticed the change in the air around him... the air was thick with tension, so thick in fact, that it seemed as if you would have been able to slice through it with a knife, and the young Uzumaki felt like he was choking in it, as if it was making breathing difficult.

"Hmmm?" pouted the blue-haired girl, sounding disappointed. "You don't remember me?"

In truth, the young Uzumaki wanted to greet back, after all, as it was only normal and polite to do so. However, he found that he couldn't...

"What do you want, Hyuuga?" inquired a cold female voice.

Neither of them were showing negative emotions on their face, both of them managing to keep a natural expression. In fact, the blue-haired girl, who Naruto knew by face but not by name (although based on her eyes, the blonde could tell she was a Hyuuga, though he did not remember when or where they met, but was sure that he did), was actually smiling and being friendly. To a normal person perhaps, this would be how things would look. To someone like the young Uzumaki, however...

The beads of sweat on his forehead growing every second, barely able to keep the calm expression on his face, and although the hostile auras were not directed at him, he was still trapped in the middle, as one of the sources happen to be the white-eyed girl a few meters away in front of him, who was no longer wearing a smile on her face, while the other one was coming from...

...Naruto's best friend, Haruno Sakura, who was standing right beside, slightly behind him...

"It's none of your business, Haruno," stated the white-eyed girl, whose voice was just as icy as the pinkette's. "And on that note, I was talking to Naruto, not you."

'_Dear Kami, what is going on here?!'_ thought the blonde to himself in his anxiety, as he stared at the two girls, both of whom were through with just releasing an air of hostility, and were now eyeing each other with contempt...

The situation lasted for a few more seconds which seemed like forever...

"All right, settle down you maggots," said a voice suddenly, as its source, a blue-haired woman with a slightly spiky hairstyle, with two sticks of squid balls balls in one hand. "We don't want anyone getting hurt before we begin now, do we?"

Then the perceptive woman, whose face seemed serious, suddenly broke into a wide smile.

For a moment, the young Uzumaki had felt somehow relieved, as the sudden intervention caused the hostility in the air to drop. Now, however, his nervousness not only returned, but also increased, realizing as to who the voice belonged to…

"I take back what I said," said the woman, grinning maliciously. "Actually, I would really love to see you brats start tearing each other apart right now, but save it for later. You don't have long to wait...just before we start, and then you can tear each other apart all you want..."

'_Oh no,'_ groaned Naruto inwardly, with a shudder.

"Name's Anko Mitarashi," said the woman who was still wearing an evil smirk. "And I'll be your examiner for your first test..."

**-BREAK-**

(Hinata POV)

"... and then you can tear each other apart all you want..."

The blue-haired girl, at that point in time, was actually literally about to do exactly what their pineapple-haired female examiner just told them not to do. However, she did not want to mess her chances of participating in the tournament, not to mention the fact that she did not want to look unseemly in front of a particular blonde-haired boy. Therefore, reluctant though she was, the white-eyed girl, with much effort, forced her hostile aura to recede, giving the blonde a friendly wave of her hand together with a smile, before walking off with her two male companions.

Hinata Hyuuga, the eldest daughter of the head of the Hyuuga clan Hiashi... well, former heir. Ever since her younger sister, Hanabi, defeated her in every single one of their spars, her father decided to take away her(Hinata's) birthright and gave it to her younger sibling instead.

To most people, if something like that happens, it would have been a heavy blow. However, Hinata did not mind at all, and did not bear her parents, nor her younger sister, any ill will. In fact, she was actually glad that she was no longer the Hyuuga heiress. For while it was true that there were plenty conveniences and privileges (as well as praise, respect and honor) given the heir/heiress, along with it comes a lot of pressure, responsibility and expectations, which was bound to greatly increase once they leave the role of heir/heiress and become the clan head.

The only part of it that hurt Hinata somewhat was the fact that the people of her clan, the elders, and (what hurt her the most) her parents, started ignoring her, almost treating her as if she did not exist. True, she was still heavily guarded and protected, but no one ever bothered talking to her, and all their eyes, including her father's were on the two talented young Hyuugas, Hanabi from the Main Family and Neiji from the Branch Family. Even though the latter was just a Branch member, he had actually earned praise from the clan head as well as the elders who, despite completely putting down Hiashi's notion to have the young prodigy's Bird Cage Seal removed, agreed to give the boy some other forms of freedom, like giving him access to the secret shinobi Arts that supposedly only Main Branch members were allowed to learn.

Despite all this, the former Hyuuga heiress merely bowed her head and accepted her predicament, for she neither had the will nor spirit to voice out her own thoughts and opinions. She merely went with the flow…

Yes, it was not a happy life. She was discontent, dissatisfied, yet she did not have the backbone to voice out or act out on it. Still, that did not mean that she did not want to change. No, what she wanted above all else was to acquire the conviction, to be able to find a path of her own, and the courage and determination, to tread on the path that she chooses, not one that has been set by her family for her…

It was true that what they had been through was different, that fact cannot be denied. What they had gone through were fundamentally different, and she had no way to understand the suffering he had been through. However, that was the one point in which they were similar.

Yes, their experiences may have been different… but they have both gone through hardships nonetheless… They were the same in that aspect…

And yet, despite going through hardships, the two of them had reacted to it differently.

The first time Hinata had seen Naruto was actually during a fine sunny day... ruined by the fact that the blonde had just gotten himself thrown out of a shop, while its owner screamed at the boy, calling him a demon and shouting at him never to enter his shop again...

It was not exactly a pleasant thing to happen, especially to someone so young, but the boy, instead of crying out loud, or shouting in rage, merely wiped the one tear that dropped from his eyes and smiled, telling himself that everything will be alright, and enthusiastically stated aloud in a cheerful voice that someday everyone will acknowledge him, that someday everyone will accept him...

For Naruto, despite all that he had to endure, managed to keep a positive outlook in life, never giving up, no matter what trials he had to endure.

Hinata, on the other hand, had been passive, and simply accepted her predicament as if it were destined, as if it were meant to be.

Despite their similar situations, both of them were not the same. He was optimistic as she was pessimistic. He was confident, whereas she was not. He was trying his best while she remained passive. He held on to hope while she, on the other hand, had already given up on it...

Which was why she could not help but look at the young boy, whose name was Uzumaki Naruto, in wonder and longing. Yes, she liked him, she admired him, and in fact, she might have actually also been a little envious of him...

...for Naruto had what Hinata wished she herself had...

And ever since that day, whenever Hinata was allowed outside of the Hyuuga compound, she would go off and stalk the young blonde, following him wherever he went. She did not really manage to do much, since she was rarely allowed to go outside due to her status of being the daughter of the clan leader (even when she was no longer the heiress), as well as owing to the fact that she had at least one or two adults tailing and guarding her most of the time. She knew that her family disliked the boy, which was why she could not let them find out what she was up to, fearing for the blonde's safety, as well as afraid that she might be further restricted, thus losing any possible opportunity to see him. Still, she did manage to give her guards the slip from time to time (and to her passive and somehow hard to notice aura helped)...

In the beginning, she was content with simply observing and watching the blonde from afar. But as time passed, the longing and admiration she felt for the blonde, as she saw him go through what she could see of his everyday life, grew. Soon, she was no longer satisfied with just watching. She wanted to approach him, to get close to him, to get to know him better. Yet, she found that she couldn't. For every time her crush would look her way, she could not help but feel like running away, hiding herself before he managed to get a glimpse of her...

Yes, at first, she was not brave enough... did not have any confidence, to approach him. Eventually, however, she managed to muster enough courage to do so.

_Flashback_

"_...Um... I ... um... um... I... I..." stuttered the white-eyed girl._

"_?" mused the blonde, with a puzzled look on his face._

"_H-here! F-for you!" voiced the stuttering female, as she literally shoved a box into the young Uzumaki's hands, running away as fast as she could._

"_Huh? Hey WAIT!" shouted the boy, who was running as fast as he could after the blue-haired girl, not knowing that he had actually passed her, for the girl camouflaged herself on a wall._

_End of Flashback_

Things did not go exactly as planned. Having known where he lived by stalk... following him around, she managed to muster enough courage to approach him. Unfortunately, just when everything seemed to be going well, having finally managed to go up and face him, the poor girl was still too shy and lacked confidence, not to mention the fact that she forgot an important detail: the topic with which to engage the boy in conversation.

Still, too flushed and embarrassed to be able to speak properly, the former Hyuuga heiress did manage to carry out part of her plan regardless. While she may not have been able to talk him, she did manage to give the boy the small lunchbox, a bento, which Hinata had prepared specially for him, and that was enough, at least for the time being. Everything was fine...

Or not...

"Hinata-sama, are you alright?" inquired a concerned voice from beside the Hyuuga female.

"I'm fine," replied the girl curtly, as she, along with her two teammates, continued moving with the other participants, following their examiner to wherever she was planning to take them.

She thought she finally did it. Hinata thought that she had finally managed to make a connection.

'_Haruno Sakura,'_ thought Hinata, her Byakugan activated, focusing her gaze on the pinkette with an oversized forehead, walking beside the young Uzumaki.

The former Hyuuga heiress could barely control her fury, as she recalled... witnessing with her own eyes... the pink-haired girl, carrying the bento which Hinata had worked so hard on and given to the blonde...

...before dumping it like garbage, into a nearby trash can...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

"We're here, little hatchlings!" said the female voice of the examiner happily. "Training ground 44..."

At this declaration, gasps and cries of shock and fear could be heard coming from the population of young participants.

This kind of reaction, however, was not something that Naruto found as surprising. Training ground fourty-four, after all, was also known as the Forest of Death, and there had been many a shinobi who had lost their lives in it. According to what he had grudgingly learned from history books (which he had grudgingly read through Sakura's forc... motivation), said training ground had been notorious for taking the lives of a large number of ninjas, their bodies (or body parts) found some time later, while most are simply declared missing since there is nothing left of them, although since they were still missing years later, it was more or less obvious what happened to them.

In fact, according the books, said training ground had been constantly used in the past by the Ninja Academy for their survival training activities. This, however, had been changed in the recent years, upon the urging of the Konoha populace, by the Sandaime Hokage, deciding that such methods were too extreme and dangerous for young, aspiring ninjas (not to mention the fact that there were qualified and sufficiently capable shinobi, some of whom were Academy Teachers, as well as Chunin level ones, who ended up losing their lives in the Forest of Death due to various reasons). Regardless, to further improve their skills, while it has been abandoned as a major training area for the most part, said area was still being used by few people, who could belong to either of two categories, either among the more daring and determined, or the more foolish ones...

And Naruto would hazard to guess that he and his two female friends belonged to both categories...

After Tenten had sufficiently mastered her chakra control to allow her to walk and run on water like anyone normally could on land, Sakura had insisted that they should have some survival training... and what a wonderful place she chose for them indeed.

Yes, the forest was dangerous... very much so. It was full of deadly creatures, ranging from large ones that could take you down like the wild boars that were many times at the normal size, to smaller, more cunning ones, like wolves and baboons, but still as dangerous, to tiny ones, like spiders and colourful frogs, which possess poison that could easily kill a human being. Aside from that, there were also plants that were carnivorous, as well as the existence of several old traps, which according to Sakura, were probably placed there by participants of previous Chunin Exams (although no longer used by the Academy, it was still being used for the Chunin Exams), which apparently no one seemed to have bothered to remove.

True, they had many dangerous encounters in the infamous Forest of Death, but somehow, they had managed to survive. The forest, as the blonde eventually realized, while it was indeed home to some deadly creatures, was not really that dangerous to a well-prepared camper, even someone who did not possess much shinobi skills. With the right equipment, anyone (brave enough at least) would be able to stay in said area. In fact, as far as Naruto was concerned, he would rather face the dangers in the so-called Forest of Death than face an angry Sakura.

_Flashback_

"_RUN!" cried a panic-stricken-looking Tenten (who was being chased down by a dozen wild pigs, a dozen, huge, vicious-looking boars, eyes livid with rage) while Naruto and Sakura, who were currently roasting one of the kin of said angry hoard followed suit._

_End of Flashback_

Still, among all of their encounters, the one with the boars was, for him, one of his worst ever experiences, due to fact that one of the boars (since Naruto tripped) managed to catch up with the blonde, and then with its tusk...

The blonde could not help but shudder as he recalled what happened, clutching his lower behind...

It was bad enough that Sakura and Tenten, who had gone back to aid him, had seen what happened to him. To make matters worse, however...

"Ahem, ahem..." coughed the spiky-haired woman, as if to draw their attention.

...the woman, who was currently their examiner, was also there to witness his humiliation...

The blonde shook his head, attempting to clear his mind of stray thoughts, remembering the important task at hand...

"Now, then, as I'm sure you're aware, this place is also known as the Forest of Death," mused the female examiner, smiling, as if it was a wonderful place, but then her smile dropped and was replaced with a frown. "However, you maggots don't have to worry about that, as the forest has been cleared up and prepared to suit your test..."

At this, breathes indicating relief could be heard.

"...which means..." continued the female kunoichi, and suddenly her frown, as if only a facade, turned into a wide smile, even wider than her previous one. "...that it will be many times much more dangerous than before, and therefore there is a lesser chance for any of you to make it out alive... oh how fu... I mean, tragic..."

At this, many of the participants, who had gotten their hopes up, could not help but groan, even Naruto. As the young Uzumaki remembered, two weeks prior, he and his two female friends had been denied entry to the Forest, stating that it has been made off limits. And if the smile and happy demeanor that their examiner had was any indication...

Many of them now seemed to be having second thoughts about participating, due to fear of dying or losing their bright future, who undoubtedly had not expected something of the sort. Sadly, due to the contract they have signed early on, they could not back out. In fact, there were three teams that raised said issue, which the woman examiner scoffingly dismissed. Apparently, these particular groups (as well as their guardians) had probably not even bothered to read carefully before signing, which was very unbecoming of a shinobi (or aspiring shinobi for that matter) , since it was already bad enough if a regular person were to make such a mistake. However, although still slightly shaken, some (including Naruto, Tenten and Sakura) had looks that tell of their strong will and determination.

"Now," the woman named Anko continued. "Much as I would like explaining the rules to you all, but I'm afraid that's not really my strong point, so I'll have someone else do it for me..."

At these words, one of the ANBU stepped forward, making a sound behind his mask which indicated he was clearing his throat before speaking, addressing the entire competition, all of whom were listening intently.

"Here are maps of a portion of Training Ground 44... study them..." stated the ANBU while he made a few handseals, as scrolls seemed to fall suddenly out of thin air, one for each of the teams present, who opened them for inspection.

The woman whose name was Anko yawned. "Anyway, I'm going on ahead. Long sessions are pretty damn boring. I'll be waiting for you near the middle of the Forest. Hope to see you still in one piece." And with one final smirk, their examiner sped towards the trees, undoubtedly unmindful of the danger (in fact she actually appeared to be enjoying herself, which earned her stares from many of the competitors, as well as her ANBU escorts).

After a little while, the ops in mask continued speaking.

"Now, as you can, according to the map, there is a signpost, about one kilometre into the Forest of Death, which bears a message..." And he began giving details on the deadly plants and creatures inside the Forest of Death, although not mentioning any details related to the 'modification.' In fact, when one of the participants asked about it, the ANBU waved it off, saying it was confidentional.

"Now," continued the man. "We all know how vital it is for a shinobi to follow the orders of their superior. Therefore, as per the authorization given to me by your examiner, you are to do as I tell you."

At this, the batch of young people edged closer so that they could here better.

"For the first part of your exam, here is your instruction. Your task will be to return to the Hokage Monument before five o'clock in the afternoon today. As of now, it is ten o'clock in the morning, which means you have roughly seven hours to accomplish this task..."

At this, every muscle in Naruto's body began to tense up, and he was sure that the same could be said for the other people in the vicinity.

"Now... BEGIN!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. To be honest with you, this chapter ought to be slightly longer but due to the fact that it didn't seem right, I cut it a bit, although it was just a small portion. As far as I noticed, it would fit better with the next chapter, which I am currently working on bit by bit (though I'm not sure about you once you read it).

Yeah, it was not easy, with all the work piled up, not to mention the fact that I was enjoying reading some Naruto time travel fics, I specially loved the one titled New Identity in the Past, in which Naruto and Kyuubi fused with Obito Uchiha. Man, it was really nice story, and admittedly, in the fake Madara's short screentime depicting his childhood, he was actually pretty damn similar to Naruto. Even the current chapters of the canon Naruto manga indicated that, as there was part there in which the real Madara commented that Obito withheld the Juubi's blast just to hear Naruto's answers. He could probably see a bit of his past self in Naruto.

Yeah, and I also got sidetracked by many other cool fanfics, care of the damn great authors who made them. But enough about that...

P.S: In the next Chapter, I might reveal some of the significant character's stats, although I am still debating on how to do it. Perhaps I will be doing it in comparison to the Servant system, though that would probably make the basic stats at D or something. Anyway, that's still for later. The next chapter will be full of action definitely, hope I get the fight scenes right, although there would be a bit of twist in the ending portions...

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9: TOURNAMENT PART 1-2  
**

(? POV)

"...BEGIN!"

A rustling sound could be heard, as several people started heading for the forest, inspecting their maps as they did so, in groups of threes. Some started speeding through the forest grounds, while others were jumping swiftly from tree branch to tree branch, toward their targeted destination.

"So, what's the plan?" a young inspiring shinobi asked his comrade, who was currently scanning the map as they continued moving through the thickets.

"Isn't it obvious?" answered the one with the map, who was refraining from rolling his eyes. "We're headed here." He pointed at the large, red X mark that was indicated in the map. "It's not that far, actually, as far as the map indicates. If we keep up this pace, it will probably take us a bit less than an hour to get there."

"Right," said the third member of the group. "Let's just get this over wi...?!"

"?!"

"AAAARGH!"

The screams of three, young, hopeful aspiring ninjas, echoed throughout the forest, as they were caught off guard, unable to even defend themselves, as black snakes wrapped around them, constricting them, quickly depriving them of air, until they no longer had any oxygen left to even scream or whimper.

"Targets eliminated," said an emotionless male voice, as a rather good-looking ten year old child who was holding a scroll and a calligraphy brush, wearing a face with a smile that bore as much feelings as his voice. He watched as the three struggled until they lost their breath, before dispelling his snakes, which turned into a pool of black ink, onto which his victims fell, still and unmoving, before leaving with his two companions to ambush the next teams that come their way.

**-BREAK-**

(Shino POV)

"KONOHA SENPUU!"

"?!"

THUD

"AAAARGH!"

THUD

"GET AW…"

CRASH

A boy with a school haircut and thick eyebrows was currently in his martial stance, taking a deep breath, before looking at his opponents.

A little while earlier all of them had a smug look on their faces, taunting the green clad taijutsu user for making the foolish mistake of leaving his group, not to mention mocking Rock Lee for being a failure and a dropout from the Ninja Academy (since all of them were former classmates of the thick browed boy.). Apparently the members of the four teams were well-acquainted with each other, and therefore for convenience and mutual advantages' sake were cooperating, sure that it would be them a force to be reckoned with...

And when they saw Rock Lee and his team heading out (with the thick brows enthusiastically leading the way), the group of twelve, with malicious smiles on their faces, went after the group, believing they were weak and useless...

How wrong they were...

"Awwww, this sucks, you managed to bring down six?" groaned a boy with a dog on his shoulder in frustration, Kiba Inuzuka, as he saw the scene before him, appearing along with a boy in sunglasses. "Shino here took out four. I only managed to get two!"

Confident in their superiority in skills and numbers, the group of twelve had severely underestimated their opponent, and ended up falling into an ambush. Now all of them had been taken out, brought down by the team of the particular dropout they were taunting, who himself sent two of the proud and arrogant wannabe shinobi crashing into nearby trees, while the four luckier ones simply skidded through the dirt before losing consciousness, while Lee's two companions handled the rest.

"YOSH!" cried Lee in enthusiasm, and was about to sprint off, when a hand gripped him firmly on his shoulder.

"?" The thick-browed boy looked to his side, and saw his kikaichu user friend with a worried expression on his face. Even though Lee could not see Shino's face with his eyes, having known him well enough, he could more or less, accurately guess what kind of emotion, and in turn, what kind of facial expression, his friend was feeling at the moment.

The young Aburame was currently deep in thought, analyzing the situation. For he was feeling puzzled and confused. The moment the ANBU had given them the signal to start, the insect user was actually still taking in his words, and the only reason why he entered the Forest was due to the fact that Lee had so enthusiastically decided to lead the way. However...

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING JUST STANDING THERE?" shouted Kiba, as he approached his two companions. "If we don't hurry we might not make it in time."

"Shino?" asked Lee worriedly, as he saw (with his mind, not his eyes) the thoughtful expression on his friend's face.

"Just give me a moment," replied the insect user, as he put his hand on his chin, trying to think, for their current situation was bothering him.

_Something's not right,_ thought Shino, as he continued pondering in his thoughts.

The young Aburame continued replaying the ANBU's instructions in his head, trying to figure things out, for he simply could not shake off the feeling that they were making a big mistake, that they had overlooked something crucial...

**-BREAK-**

(Anko POV)

"AAAARGH!"

"Tch. And another team is eliminated," said a young woman in her twenties cheerfully, as she watched three people stumble from a trip wire, before they were engulfed in an explosion, caused by the explosive tags that were activated by their error. "Special Team, get over there and check their condition."

"Affirmative," replied a voice on a speaker, and a second later, three masked ANBU ops, one of whom was a medic-nin, appeared in the area and began inspecting the bodies. It turns out that the three were still alive, and the ANBU immediately performed first aid, before one of them carried the three wounded young ninjas to be brought to the hospital for further treatment.

It was a normal task for the jounin who goes by the name Anko Mitarashi. After all, this was not the first time that she had been assigned to overview a shinobi trial. In fact, she had been the examiner for previous Chunin and Jounin Exams in the past. This time, however, there was a significant difference.

In the past, the snake-using female kunoichi could only hear and see what was happening as far as her ability allowed her, either through the eyes of snake familiars, or through the memories of her Shadow Clones. Both options, of course, were not exactly convenient for her, since it uses up chakra. Due to the fact that she has the Curse Seal that had been placed on her by her former master, Anko's capability to utilize these was limited, and was therefore able to see only a portion of events.

Now, however, things were different. The surveillance system that the Sandaime had set up for the present event was indeed extremely helpful, for while it was not perfect, it greatly increased the examiner's ability to observe what was happening. Instead of having to go through all the trouble of sending out familiars, or having to listen to report from the patrolling ANBU, all Anko had to do was sit back, relax and enjoy eating squid balls, while watching things play out in comfort, in front of several monitors that were connected to the many surveillance cameras strategically placed in the Forest of Death.

Yes, it was kind of fun for her, observing and watching people struggle, get hurt and get killed during the examinations... well, the last part was not exactly correct.

True, while Anko may be a bit of (probably not just a bit) a sadist, and enjoyed seeing people in pain and get tortured, she did not exactly like seeing people die. She liked watching them suffer, for it is how a person becomes strong, by overcoming trials and hardships. She does indeed have fun, both from observing those who strive hard and succeed, and watching those who do the same but end up failing miserably (Anko did not like weaklings, but she still preferred them over the talented ones who were weak-willed). Still, while this was true, she was an experienced shinobi who was used to seeing death, having participated in many battles and skirmishes, and therefore has complete control over this emotional aspect.

"KYAAAA!"

"And another one," mused Anko with a wide smile on her face, as she watched a team of aspiring female kunoichi get buried into the ground until only their heads were sticking out.

Even though she did not like people dying, that did not change the fact Anko Mitarashi was a sadist, someone who is entertained by watching others' misery and suffering.

As she watched the screens, the female snake user noticed that one team was already near the supposedly target destination, where one of Anko's clones was waiting for them.

Soon, the team has arrived at the spot, and started reading what was written on the signpost...

**DEAD END**

**RETURN TO THE HOKAGE MONUMENT**

Upon seeing this, the female kunoichi's smile widened, a low, sadistic laugh escaping her lips...

"And now... the real fun begins..." stated the kunoichi, as she watched her Shadow Clone step on a large button disguised as a rock, on the ground of the Forest of Death, which grinned at the three young aspiring shinobi who were looking at her in horror.

**-BREAK-**

(Yuki POV)

"Hanabi-chan, are you alright?" inquired a worried voice, which belonged to a red-haired female with light blue eyes.

"I'm fine, Akira, don't worry," replied Hanabi, the Hyuuga heiress, who was currently wiping sweat from her forehead, panting, before she fell to her knees.

"No you're not, you still have a fever," replied the girl named Akira, who had placed her hand on the white-eyed girl's forehead to check her temperature. "Maybe we should..."

"NO!" cried the girl , desperation in her voice. "I WON'T QUIT! I CAN'T QUIT!"

"But you're ill," said the red-haired girl gently, as she allowed the other female to rest her head on her lap.

"Please..." the Hyuuga heiress pleaded weakly.

As she watched her two companions, a girl with silver hair and steel grey eyes could not help but shake her head, sighing, as she continued to scan the area for enemies, holding her weapon, a large silvery blade shaped like an arc, at the ready.

It had been two years since their family had moved into Konoha. She (Yuki) and her red-haired sister, Akira, were orphans, and never even knew who their real parents were. As far as they remembered, they had been living on the streets, scavenging left and right for scraps of food, unaware of how they even managed to survive. Still, one thing the two of them were aware of was that they were not alone: they had each other, and perhaps that was how they managed to make it through the hard times.

When the two of them were about five, they had been caught stealing food. There had been many near misses, but due to the fact that stealing food had become their daily routine, they were nimble enough to get away. But somehow, their tricks did not work on her.

To their great surprise however, the one who caught them did not hurt them, have them arrested, or have them carted off into slavery. Instead, she took them in and raised them as if they were her own children. Her name was Akiko, a kind-hearted woman in her twenties, and it was her who gave Yuki and Akira their names, for they had none.

Unknown to everyone except for her two adopted daughters, however, Akiko also had her secrets. She was a retired shinobi from Amegakure, a deserter from Hanzo's army. In fact, her former name was actually in the Bingo Books as an A-Class missing nin with a bounty on her head, and it was for this very reason that the woman had trained them in the arts of the ninja so that they would be able to defend themselves. Still, her guise as a simple travelling artist was indeed effective, for no one pursued them... well, unless you count the men who wanted to court Akiko (Which the woman politely refused, while her two adoptive daughters brutally opposed.). For some reason, lady luck had been on their side, having had no perilous encounters during their travels (except for the attempt of one the pursuers to use an aphrodisiac on Akiko, which ended in the man receiving a painful kick below the belt), and Yuki and Akira could not have been any happier. They now had a family.

Eventually, the three arrived at Konoha, where their mother thought it would be nice to settle down. Among all the other villages, the Hidden Leaf seemed to have the friendliest environment, and gave the regular people/civilians the most freedom. Finally, they had been able to find a place to stay and start over. Having travelled to many villages, as well the fact that Akiko was gifted as an artist, they had opened a shop which sells paintings and artworks depicting the many different places and sceneries in the Elemental Nations.

Due to the quality of the artwork, they gained a number of clients, among them was the Head of the Hyuuga Clan, Hiashi, and it was in one of his visits that they had first met the Hyuuga heiress (who was two years younger than Yuki and Akira), who was currently sleeping on Akira's lap...

She knew, Yuki knew, the reason why their friend Hanabi, suddenly decided to join the tournament, when a few weeks before, when she told them about it, she held it with disinterest. And despite the fact that she was currently ill...

"?!"

Suddenly, Yuki was brought out of her thoughts, as the ground around them started trembling violently. Immediately, she and her sister jumped up into the trees, the red-haired girl carrying the unconscious Hyuuga heiress on her back...

"HELLO AGAIN, MAGGOTS..." echoed a female voice throughout the Forest of Death, as the ground finally stopped trembling...

Without warning, numerous weapons... kunai, shuriken, and arrows, suddenly started firing from the mounds of earth that rose up from the ground, in all directions. The two sisters took one brief glance at each other, before focusing their mind on their current situation, both of them sharing a similar line of thought...

_CRAP._.. grimaced Yuki and Akira at the same time, as they started heading in the direction whence they came, dodging, deflecting, and weaving through the rain of weapons, towards the exit of the Forest...

**-BREAK-**

(Asuma POV)

"So you managed to figure it out," stated a voice, with a hint of pride in it. "Congratulations, you passed the first part of the competition."

"Yeah, whatever," replied a certain shadow user in a bored voice. "So can we go now?"

"Of course," said the jounin, smiling at the lazy brat. "Just make sure you and your team are back here tomorrow morning at exactly eight o'clock."

As the group of three left, the man, whose name was Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the Third Hokage, could not help but smile, as he watched the young female Yamanaka shouting enthusiastically, praising her shadow user teammate when just a few minutes ago, before it was announced that they had passed, Asuma heard her shouting and complaining at said teammate for being stupid, lazy and paranoid for not wanting to enter the Forest of Death.

The first part of the competition was actually a trial, a test, not of the young aspiring shinobis' skills in jutsus and the arts of the ninja, but simply their ability to comprehend and follow instructions.

In truth, the man who was formerly a member of the twelve guardians, could not help but feel both amazed and disappointed, that most of the participants were unable to even follow such a simple order. Young though they may be, many of them had attended the Ninja Academy, and simple logic should have been a skill that they already possess.

Yes, each of the participating teams had been given a map, and given a general description of Area 44, the Forest of Death. However, while it was true that they were given such information, they had not been ordered to enter said area. Their instructions were simply to 'go to the Hokage Monument,' not 'enter the Forest of Death and go to specified location on the map before going to the Hokage Monument.'

It was indeed disappointing, very much so, in Asuma's opinion, that most of the younger generation had been unable to follow such a simple instruction, despite most of them having had shinobi training. Had it been in the old days, the Sandaime's son was sure that most of them would have understood what they were told. Instead, the competitors had been misled and thus ended up making a fatal mistake.

Still, despite their misunderstanding, Asuma hoped that they somehow manage. After all, entering the Forest of Death did not disqualify them from the competition. Rather, they simply made their task much more difficult for themselves. Undoubtedly, only the luckiest and the most skilled among them would make it back in time. Still, the implications would be bad if only two teams managed to get through to the next round of the tournament.

And speaking of those particular teams...

Asuma had already expected that Shikamaru and his friends, due to the fact that the boy was a genius like his father (although he had also inherited Shikaku's lazy attituted) were likely to make it through the first round without much problem. In fact, said group only took an hour to reach the true target destination (approximately the amount of time it would take someone to get to the Hokage Momument from the entrance of Training Ground 44). However, unlike the jounin's prediction, the Ino-Shika-Choji team were not the first people to pass the first exam...

The former member of the twelve guardians could not help but smirk inwardly, as his thoughts wandered towards the team that managed to arrive a quarter of an hour earlier than the shadow user and his comrades. It had only been a few weeks since Azuma had returned to Konoha from a long S-Class mission, yet he had now found something that had caught his attention...

_Things are starting to get very interesting,_ thought the man, as he his cigarette and began smoking, his mind set on a certain pink-haired girl who appeared to rival the Nara in terms of wit and intelligence, smiling for a while before sighing, as he realized that he was stuck at the Hokage Monument for another six hours, up to five in the afternoon, when the exam was officially over...

**-BREAK-**

(Sarutobi POV)

"... WOOOHOOO! BETTER GET OUT OF THERE KIDDIES, UNLESS YOU WANT THE FOREST TO BECOME YOUR GRAVEYARD..."

"At least someone seems to be enjoying herself," muttered a voice sarcastically, belonging to a person in a mask, as he, along with his fellow operatives, continued their operation, weaving in and out of the multiple traps that had been activated, to assist and rescue the young competitors who had fallen. "Wonder what Lord Hokage was thinking when she left her in charge of the exams, of all people."

Unknown to them, however, save for one person, said Hokage was actually among them, helping in the rescue operations, while disguised as an ANBU.

There are many things that could be said about the man named Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village. On one side, he a kindly old man and a benevolent figure, a forgiving and democratic person who preferred peace above all else, whose intentions were for the good of his people, not for himself. On another side, however, he was a veteran and experienced warrior and military leader, who had been through countless battles and skirmishes all throughout his career, and was prepared to do everything in his power, even becoming ruthless, just so he could forward his goals... and as of the moment, the man had let this particular side dominate him, for it was necessary.

True, a part of the Sandaime was saddened, grieving over the fact that many young people were badly hurt because of a tournament which he himself had organized, and as of the moment, he was discreetly helping out, disguised as one of his own men, to give medical attention to those who need it, doing everything in his power to make sure the nobody died from the ordeal. However, while this was the case...

It was a simple test, a very simple test of obedience and following orders, a set of instructions which, in the Sandaime's opinion, should have been easy enough to understand, even for a six year old. And yet, despite this fact, most of the participants had failed to accomplish such a simple task.

And the Third Hokage was disappointed... gravely disappointed, with the current turn of events...

... and he was not pleased, not at all...

It was already disappointing enough that many of them did not understand, and had been unable to follow such simple instructions. The map and the descriptions were simply means to confuse them, yet the Sandaime did not expect that so many would have their attention diverted so as to be unable to obey orders. For had such a thing occurred in a real mission, it was possible for them to truly lose their lives.

Yes, despite the fact that they had signed a death warrant, the Sandaime Hokage had still done his best to ensure that the traps were not fatal. True, they would undoubtedly hurt like hell, but the traps and weaponry he had ordered constructed were meant to disable, not kill. The kunai, shuriken were extremely blunt, and the arrows were made of foam, which would not do much damage, although would be enough to knock out anyone who is hit, as well as available in large numbers that could easily cause panic.

These people disobeyed orders due to misinterpretation and miscommunication, the inability to comprehend, and since most of the participants were attending the Ninja Academy, it was indeed sufficient proof that a number of reforms and changes had to be done with regards to the curriculum and method of teaching. However, this was not the Sandaime's main priority... something else had caught his attention...

Not for nothing was Sarutobi Hiruzen the head of the Hidden Leaf Village. For despite his kind and friendly demeanour, the old man was actually observant... very observant in fact, and if he was serious, despite the fact that his abilities were failing with his old age, he was still sharp enough to see things that most people, even jounin level ninjas, would not normally be able to realize... and as he had observed the first part of the Shinobi Survival Challenge, the old Hokage noticed something which was very disturbing...

For what displeased him the most, was not the fact that many had been unable to follow orders. No, the reason why the old man was angry was due to...

...the fact that there were those who had deliberately refrained from following orders...

Yes, Sarutobi may have been old, but he still possessed large amounts of chakra... enough to let him create a sufficient number of Shadow Clones, some to tend to his office, while others helped him in the Forest of Death, serving as his eyes...

And it was through these clones, which were as well-positioned and well-hidden as only a Hokage could do, that he had been able to observe some of the interactions... and the memories he acquired as they dispelled had incensed Sarutobi...

For some of the participants, despite knowing full well that all they had to do to pass was to go to the top of the Hokage Monument, had deliberately entered the Forest of Death, just so that they could reduce the competition by ambushing and taking out the other teams. It was a shrewd and calculated move, but effective nonetheless. While there was no rule that said that they could attack their fellow participants, there was no rule that stated that they could not do so either. And Training Ground 44... was not included in the places that disallowed the participants from attacking each other (since they were not allowed to fight inside the civilian zone like the Hokage Monument and the areas before the entrance to the training grounds).

From the perspective point of view, despite the fact that Sarutobi did not approve of such underhanded means, such acts were not exactly illegal, as it did not go against any of the rules. However, in doing so, not only were they putting themselves at unnecessary risk and danger...

...they were also jeopardizing the entire mission...

They had allowed themselves to get sidetracked, and were distracted from accomplishing their true goal. For there are crucial missions that were pressed for time, and were best completed as soon as possible...

If the circumstances of the task were life-threatening, perhaps Sarutobi would understand, but as it stands, 'going to the Hokage Monument' did not belong in that category. The fact that some of the aspiring shinobi of the younger generation would risk failure just to get some leverage... the fact that they were willing to disobey orders, slack off from the responsibility placed on their shoulder, and risk failing a mission just to get an edge...

And to make matters even worse, another memory entered his mind, from one of his clones which dispersed as it ran out of chakra...

One of the teams, comprised of two members of the Hyuuga clan and the last Uchiha, had been hanging around near the entrance to the Forest of Death in the past two hours, setting up numerous traps, as if they were aware that there will be people heading back in that direction, before finally leaving and heading off for the correct destination...

It took all of the Sandaime's self control to stop himself from disabling the surprises and pitfalls that he had seen placed by the shrewd team... In fact, it had actually been taking the Sandaime (and the same could be said about his Shadow Clones since they think in the same manner as their creator) everything he had to restrain himself from jumping in and stopping the confrontations occurring between the youth, decided to simply watch and wait for the outcome before moving in to help.

The Third Hokage, aware that his democratic methods had their disadvantages, had let his rival Danzo, despite some restrictions like disbanding the Root Program that recruits children (which Sarutobi suspected the man was continuing though he currently has no proof), to continue his operations from the shadows, overlooking some of his actions, knowing full well that he was doing it for the village.

Now, however, the Sandaime was no longer sure if even this compromise was enough to keep the harmony and balance, and to keep the people of Konoha safe...

For the Sandaime's intuition was telling him, that even though things had been fairly peaceful in the Elemental Nations in the past decade, that did not mean that it would last. Loath as he was to accept it, he knew that all it would take was one madman with enough power to ignite another massive war...

As he helped another unconscious youngster out of the ground he was buried in, the old Hokage, disguised as one of his own ANBU, could not help but think about the future...

For as far as he could tell, Konoha, while still standing proud and strong, as one of the most powerful shinobi villages, was slowly becoming weaker, and from what he had seen from the younger generation's actions...

... they could not yet be trusted with the future of the Hidden Leaf Village...

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, could not help but feel that organizing the tournament, and observing it personally, had been a right decision. Because of it, the veteran shinobi had seen many flaws and errors that he would have otherwise overlooked, and he now had a chance to fix them, before it was too late...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. I must admit it was not easy writing multiple scenes all at once, and I hope I did not mess it up too badly. After all, it's my first time writing such scenes, so I hope you forgive me if they seem a bit confusing.

Anyway, just two more chapters I think, before I begin with my favourite part, the part which I've been itching to write about. I apologize if I won't put up any stats yet, even though I said I would in the previous chapter, but I realized that it's best to do that once a sufficient amount of personal skills had been revealed. Also just a reminder...

If, in the succeeding chapters, you see text like this one: **FIRE STYLE: GREAT FIREBALL JUTSU** or

**WIND STYLE: DRILLING AIR BULLET** (Note: I'm still contemplating whether to write it down in English or Japanese in English text), they are simply using their techniques, and are **NOT SHOUTING** it aloud. Most people of course understand that, but I've seen a couple of comments in some Naruto fics I have read asking why the users are shouting out the name of their techniques, especially in ambush scenes which are supposed to be surprise attacks and therefore require silence. Yes, I know most of you already know that it's implied, but this is just to try and ensure that no one drops such a comment (hopefully).

As for the next round of the tournament, since the first round is almost over... well, you'll just have to wait and see.

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Later then, people...


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10: INTERLUDE**

(Shikamaru POV)

"No way," gasped a female voice, belonging to a girl whose name was Ino, her eyes wide with shock and horror, unable to believe what she was witnessing.

Beside her, a young shadow jutsu user who was a member of the Nara Clan, who goes by the name Shikamaru, was currently staring at the sight in front of him in. His eyes, which were normally dull and unmindful, were currently alight with surprise and interest amidst his worry...

There were very few things that had ever been able to get the attention of the Nara which were enough to keep him awake and attentive. He was a lazy bum after all, despite his great intelligence, and because of his laziness, he was always at the lower bottom of his class at the Ninja Academy...

This time, however, the event that was unfolding before them falls under this exact category of 'a few exceptions,' and thus, for once, Shikamaru, instead of being in his usual hunched and bored position, was sitting straight, his eyes narrowed, as the gears in his mind continued spinning in a swift perpetual motion, reassessing and recalculating the current situation, furious with himself for making a mistake in his estimates.

And many of the eyewitnesses, who were expecting a similar result to the shadow user, due to a certain family's reputation, were looking with awe at what they were witnessing.

"Ugh, I can't take it anymore," groaned a male voice, before its owner slumped its head onto Shikamaru, unconscious.

The entire place was silent, as they watched three people doing something they believe should have been impossible and out of the question.

A few more minutes passed, before finally, a female voice spoke, breaking the silence.

"This is our victory," stated a pink-haired female flatly, as she, along with her two companions, a blonde-haired boy and a bun-haired girl, stood up from their seats, on the opposite side of the table on which Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji were seated, wiping her mouth elegantly with a tissue as she did so. "And as per the terms of our agreement, you will be the one to pay for the expenses."

The shadow user, along with the other people in the place, could only stare in shock, as the girl and her two friends left the restaurant, each one of them leaving behind a tower of empty bowls that previously contained rice, all of which were considerably taller than the mountainous pile which was made by the ob-healthy Akimichi, who was currently groaning as he clutched his stomach.

_Impossible,_ was the only thought that entered the mind of the highly intelligent member of the Nara Clan. And as he looked at the owner of the restaurant, based from his facial expression, Shikamaru was sure that the man was regretting adding an 'All You Can Eat Rice and Barbecue,' to the options on the menu.

For no one could have ever guessed that such a level of gluttony could exist from such a group of young, normal, innocent-looking individuals.

Still, what was done was done. There was no point dwelling. And as Shikamaru approached the owner of the shop (who was now slumped on the floor, in a daze), to pay for the bills (Painful though it was to the pocket, they did lose the bet which he was 99% sure they would win because of Chouji, and unfortunately the 1% won out.), the shadow user heard his friend Ino muttering...

"How do they do it?" stated the blonde-haired female in low voice that was a mixture of wonder and envy. "How are they able to eat so much without getting fat?"

**-BREAK-**

(Tenten POV)

"YAHOO! WE REALLY SHOWED THEM DATTEBAYO!" shouted a certain blonde-haired boy enthusiastically, as three people started walking away from the barbecue shop.

"Still, I hope you had not forgotten that the situation which arose was partly your fault, Naruto," stated a pink-haired girl monotonously.

And as they continued heading for the blonde-haired boy's apartment, a certain bun-haired female weapon's fanatic, who goes by the name Tenten, could not help but smile, as she watched her two friends continue their conversation (which, like most of the time, was almost always one-sidedly in the pinkette's favour.).

It had been over two years since Tenten first met Naruto and Sakura, her two closest friends. True, at the start, the main reason why she approached them in the first place them was due to the fact that they seemed to share the same interests as her, not to mention that Naruto had quite the talent when it comes to weaponry and the materials they are made of. But now, this aspect was of little importance to the bun-haired girl, as she (as well as Tenten's parents) now recognized the two of them (Naruto and Sakura) as family.

And indeed, they had been through quite a bit together. Tenten, who did not have siblings of her own, saw the blonde and the pinkette, not just as childhood friends, but like her own brother and sister. Naruto, as she discovered, was not only talented with weaponry, cooking (which Tenten liked a lot), and fixing household appliances, he was also quite adept and skilled at his favourite hobby: pranking. Yes, he was good at setting up traps, as well as creating prank-related paraphernalia, and whenever she had time to spare, the bun-haired girl would actually join him in his fun and help him out. For as it turned out, Tenten discovered that she herself also had that naughty side to her.

Sakura, on the other hand, was more of a serious type. In fact, as far as Tenten could tell, she was quite mature, probably much more mature than children of her age (included the bun-haired girl.). True, the bun-haired realized that it was probably just her nature, and she knows that pinkette was actually a nice person, but to most people, especially those who do not know her personally or had just met her for the first time, she would seem cold and distant.

In fact, at the beginning, Tenten actually wonder how it had been possible for Naruto and Sakura to have managed to get along. They had seemed, at the start, like polar opposites. Naruto, in Tenten's opinion, was just like a bouncing ball of happiness, while Sakura seemed to exude the aura of doom and gloom.

As she spent more and more time with them, however, the bun-haired girl realized how mistaken she was.

Sakura may seem like an ice queen, but in reality, she was just as human as everyone else, though for some reason, she refrained from showing emotions. It was difficult to tell exactly what she was thinking and feeling at any given moment, for the pink-haired girl always wore a mask of indifference. And Tenten was sure that she probably one of the very few people inexistence who could read her.

Naruto, on the other hand, may act loud and cheerful most of the time, but as Tenten later discovered, he actually had a deep scar in his heart, and the blonde's smiling face was actually a facade, as mask, to hide his true emotions...

For after a little while, Tenten found out that the blonde was actually the 'Demon Brat' which the whole village had been talking about. She did not notice it at first, since the people they interacted with had been nice and treated the blonde normally and in a friendly way, but eventually the bun-haired girl realized, based from what she overheard from some of the passers-by, as well as the way they looked at Naruto with their eyes full of contempt and hatred. They believed, and were certain, that Naruto was actually the Nine-tailed Demon Fox, which attacked and destroyed Konoha a few years back, killing and slaughtering many of the villagers.

Not that Tenten cared about such things, at least not anymore...Perhaps it was due to the fact that she had been excited with getting to know his abilities, which was why she did not realize until much later. But as time passed she realized eventually that the blonde boy who had become her friend, and the blonde boy who was hated by the villagers were in fact the same person.

The bun-haired girl could not help but feel guilty, as she remembered that she had been among that particular group, hating Naruto simply because it was what the others were doing. For while it was true that Tenten's parents had never shown any animosity or hostility towards the young Uzumaki, nor had they told their daughter any story that connected the blonde to the demon fox, the bun-haired girl had been playing with children of her age, and had thus been influenced. It was not a pleasant feeling, as she recalled that she had actually participated in events which included throwing stones and rocks at the blonde... one of which resulted in Naruto getting hit on the forehead by a large rock that caused a painful wound... a rock which Tenten herself had thrown.

In fact, she actually contemplated on telling Naruto the truth, to apologize, yet she found that she couldn't. For she was afraid... afraid that she would be hated, and would end up losing two of her dear friends. She had a strange feeling that her blonde friend would forgive her regardless, but until she was sure, until she had courage enough, she would keep that fact to herself...

She had done what she could to make up for what she had done, and had tried convincing as many people as she could that Naruto was not a monster. Sadly, while she had been partially successful (as well as the fact that there were already a number of people who saw Naruto for who he was, a kind, helpful, although mischievious boy), her actions had led her to become alienated at the Ninja Academy which she had been attending until recently. For most of the students there, as well as the majority of the teachers, firmly believed that Naruto was a monster, and therefore, in response to her stand, Tenten had been bullied, discriminated and treated unfairly by both the students and the teachers. Only Neiji had ever talked to her at the school, her only friend there. It was thanks to him that she had been able to tolerate all the discrimination, but even he, eventually, turned her back on her. And without the Hyuuga prodigy's backing, the bullying went full force. Her seats and tables were vandalized, the woman at the school cafeteria refused to sell her anything, and she was always unfairly and unjustly given bottom marks, making her the Deadlast, even though it was painfully obvious to the impartial eye that she was actually performing well.

Soon, she couldn't take it anymore, and thus decided to leave the Academy altogether. For even her parents, though extremely angry, could do nothing about it (well, except for selling certain clients third class shinobi weaponry, unaware that Tenten was their daughter, nor did they have any intention of telling them). With the entire student and teacher population ganging up on her, while it was not a lost cause, it would definitely stir up a lot of trouble and cause a lot of stress, which was why they, including their bun-haired daughter, unanimously decided against filing complaints.

Tenten could not help but wonder if this had been how Naruto felt, although she was sure she was wrong. For she had only experienced months of hate and discrimination and mostly only in the Academy, whereas the young Uzumaki had had to deal with it from the day he was born, with the entire village against him... and he was an orphan, alone, until Sakura had come into his life... whereas Tenten had her family to support her all throughout... her mother, her father, Sakura, and ironically, Naruto... and she realized that her pain would not even compare to what the blonde-haired boy had experienced. Still...

"You've eaten that much, yet you're still planning to cook?" inquired a female voice with a hardly discernible tone of incredulity.

The young female named Tenten was brought out of her thoughts, having just realized that had arrived at the blonde-haired boy's apartment, as she had not really paid much attention to where they were going.

"Ummm, yeah..." replied the young Uzumaki sheepishly, who was already putting on an apron. "So then Sakura-chan, is there anything you'd like in particular?"

"Curry," said a female voice.

"Hey, I wasn't asking you, Ten-chan," replied the blonde, who took one glance at Tenten before turning his attention back to the pinkette. "So what will it be?"

"Curry," stated the pink-haired girl flatly, which made the bun-haired female smirk. _Yes._

"What, but..." began Naruto in protest, but Tenten decided to cut him off.

"You know as well as I do that Sakura-chan here is not really that picky with food... she'll practically eat anything... No offense meant of course." The bun-haired added hastily. While there was hardly any visible change in Sakura's facial expression, save for a small frown, Tenten had felt an oppressive air aimed at her, and knowing her very well, as well as having just spent three months training with her... the bun-haired girl knew that annoying her too much was definitely not a good idea.

"Much as I do not like way she phrased it, Tenten is right," stated Sakura, addressing Naruto with a sigh (which in Tenten's opinion, was not a sigh out of exhaustion, but one which indicated that she was dropping her hostility). "I do not really have any preferences... so long as the meal is satisfactory."

The bun-haired girl could not help but smile evilly, as she Naruto heading for the kitchens, slumped in defeat. However, the reason why Tenten was feeling amused, was not due to the fact that she got her way. Rather, it was because of what she had observed...

_You still haven't noticed have you, Naruto-kun?_ thought Tenten, sighing as she shook her head.

It was, as far as Tenten's perspective was concerned, painfully obvious. Yet for reason, Naruto had failed to noticed it. No... not just Naruto...

"Dense."

"Hmmm?"

"It's nothing," the bun-haired girl replied to her pinkette friend.

It was, as far as Tenten was concerned, actually kind of sad. For she could pretty much guess how Naruto and Sakura viewed each other... The only problem was that it seemed liked the two were oblivious that the feelings they had for each other were mutual. Still, it was not her place to meddle, although she simply could not resist the temptation to drop a hint or two from time to time...

_And did you know Naruto-kun, that Sakura-chan rarely smiles?_ mused Tenten to herself.

Yes. Haruno Sakura, after all, was not someone who shows much emotion, as the bun-haired girl observed, her face almost always expressionless. True, she had never been impolite or disrespectful to anyone, but even then her face remained as emotionless as it always was.

_Just like now_, pondered Tenten, unconsciously able to guess what her friend Sakura was feeling. _The only times I have ever seen her smile like that..._

_... is when she was looking at you..._

**-BREAK-**

(? POV)

"Hey! Stop pushing!"

"Momma!"

"Come on!"

"Let us through! Let us through!"

It was 9 o'clock in the morning. In a certain location in Konoha, a loud commotion could be heard, as people started flowing into a large stadium. Soon, the arena was filled to the brim, with spectators, all of whom were Konoha citizens... well, most of whom at least...

For while it was true that a lot of security measures had been put up, disallowing anyone who was not a citizen of Konoha from entering the area, that did not mean that no one would be able to sneak in and get past it...

It was, for the figure in black cloak covered in red cloud designs, just like any other normal day. He was, just like always, continuing the task that he had been assigned to do by his organization: spying and gathering information on the different shinobi villages and other organizations. And indeed he was the best at what he does. Due to his unique abilities, he was able to do surveillance without much problem, and had in fact, been acting out this role for his organization for years now.

True, his presence had been detected a number of times of already, by the most skilled ninjas, as well as the Kages of certain villages, but none of them had yet been able to catch him nor pinpoint his exact location. After all, his skill at masking and changing the frequency of his chakra signature was second to none, and he could actually mimic anyone, from the highest ranking shinobi (although that was risky, since while he could copy the signature, he could not copy the amount), to the low ranking civilians.

Aside from that, the man also had the ability to meld through walls, like what he was doing as of present, and was thus able to avoid detection from possible prying eyes. Not that he was able to hang around indefinitely of course. After all, he could not afford getting captured at any cost, or risk exposing the existence of his organization, as his possible captures will undoubtedly bleed him dry for information.

"WELCOME EVERYONE" shouted a cheerful female voice, belonging to certain blue-haired woman who he recognized as the former student of a certain snake-using nuke nin who betrayed a certain organization he had been part of. "TO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE SHINOBI SURVIVAL CHALLENGE!"

And it seems like his timing could not have been more perfect.

"NOW, ALLOW ME TO PRESENT TO YOU THE TEAMS THAT MADE IT THROUGH THE FIRST ROUND!"

Suddenly, a large cloud of white smoke appeared in the middle of the arena, and when it dissipated, it revealed the youngsters who will be competing...

_Hmmm... _mused the man who was currently on a wall to himself, as the shinobi beside the snake-using woman started explaining the rules and regulations, while a large screen , indicating the match-ups for the tournament, suddenly lit up. Apparently, the second round of the Shinobi Survival Challenge would be duelling, one-on-one battles of skill and intelligence, between the competitors._ I'm sure he's going to find this development very interesting._

True, his job as a mere observer had now become boring for him, due to the fact that it was all he ever did in the past few years, but it was still his job nonetheless. After all, the organization he belonged to, as well as his true master, needed his abilities as one-man spy network. Yes, he was just one entity, but due to another one of his abilities, he was able to create copies (not clones, real life copies) of himself, enabling him to be at multiple places at once. And for his superiors, every little detail could count...

The man continued to observe, as the crowd grew noisier with excitement, the large screen flashing, in large letters, the first fight which was about to take place...

**NARA SHIKAMARU VS HARUNO SAKURA**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. I must admit that it was really difficult taking things easy when you want to rush things immediately to the action part. I really hope I didn't screw up too much with this chapter.

Yes, the fight scenes will be up next, and thus begins my dilemma. Aside from the fact that I am busy and happens to have a lot of work and studying to do, it also happens that I am not that confident with my writing skills when it comes to fights scenes, so it could take a while for me to post the next one, so if it turns out not that alright, well nothing I can do about that...

Oh, and yeah, have you heard? The author of Zero no Tsukaima has died. Really sad actually, since I actually liked that particular anime. Yeah, it's not pleasant to hear about that. I just hope the same does not happen to the writers of other stories/mangas/anime I like, before they are completed, like Detective Conan. Not that I'm saying that it's okay that they're dead after they finish they work of course. It's just you are left with a sense of void, literally, after reading a story and looking out for updates, only to find out it will be never be finished.

By the way, I've been reading a bit of fanfiction material these days and yeah, rather than post a chapter, I would like to put a bit of a challenge here. I doubt I have time to write these, so I'll just put up my crossover challenges I suddenly think about in my Author's Notes sections... better here than make a new story challenge fic...

* * *

**Zero no Tsukaima and Fairy Tail Crossover Challenge**

After three years, Edolas had finally become prosperous once more. Even without magic, they had been able to rise up from the rubble, and were now living fairly comfortable lives. Thanks to the combined effort of everyone, under King Jellal's leadership, everything was fine once again.

However, despite all this, the young king was unhappy, for he still missed Earthland, not because of its magic, but because it was his home, where his friends were. True, he was respected in Edolas, but there was no one he could ever truly call as nakama. He was both a symbol and a leader, not a person.

And by the look of things, it appears that he was no longer needed. True, the people admired him, but he was sure now that they would be able to make it through even without his help.

Alone in his own chamber, Jellal took off his kingly clothes and put on the outfit he used when he was still known as Mystogan. The man looked at himself in the mirror, thinking that his mask must have been his true face all along.

Suddenly, a large green portal appeared out of nowhere, sucking the young king into it. And when he came to... he found himself face to face with a certain pink-haired girl.

Pairing: Edo-Jellal and Louise... Preferably not harem, preferably not following canon, though I'll have no complaints if whoever (if ever) picks this idea up would do so.

* * *

Of course, if I have enough inspiration and time to spare, I will continue this myself...

But enough about that...

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Later then, people...


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11: TOURNAMENT PART 2-1  
**

(Sarutobi POV)

It had been a long and tiring week for the man who was also dubbed as the god the of shinobi, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He already had plenty of problems to deal with, and now, with the current tournament he organized, he might have just dug his own grave. The Third was already an old man after all, and with the stress he brought upon himself, he may have just made his already limited time of a few more years even shorter.

Still, despite all the problems that had come with it, Sarutobi no longer regretted his decision. Thanks to the tournament he had organized, upon the suggestion of a certain pink-haired girl, the Hokage had been able to see the village from a different perspective, thereby discovering certain weaknesses to its foundation, which, since discovered, can now be remedied.

Yes, they were not pleasant, the discoveries he had made, and now, more than ever before, Sarutobi had become extremely worried for the future of the village. For from what he had seen, the next generations, the ones who are supposed to inherit the will of fire, had been proven, in the Sandaime's eyes, not yet worthy to take their place. Should the future be placed in their hands... no, they were not yet ready...

In fact, the Sandaime actually wanted to tell the young ones all of these, during his speech an hour before, when he congratulated those who managed to make it through. For out of the twenty eight teams of three that participated, only seven remained, and out of these seven, only two teams had been able to follow the instructions to the letter. And what it worse was that even though he suspected that at least half of the teams understood the instructions that were given, not all of them followed, deliberately not following orders.

However, Sarutobi could not bring himself to do so, and instead praised the young aspiring shinobi in general, while gently telling them to try and do better in the future. For he simply did not have the heart to burst their bubble. For Sarutobi, while desiring to protect the village, also wished for the children to enjoy at least a portion of their childhood, even if not in entirety, by refraining from fully introducing them and opening their eyes to the cruel world that they were in. He did not want them to experience what he had, as things had been much harsher for him during the days when Sarutobi was still a young lad.

"Will the combatants, Nara Shikamaru and Haruno Sakura, please come to the center of the arena..." stated the voice of the snake kunoichi's fellow commentator...

Seven teams. Out of the twenty-eight groups of three that participated, only seven managed to make it through to the next round. Yes, it was a very low number. However, based from what the Sandaime had seen of the events that transpired in the Forest of Death, it was not surprising, though still disappointing. Most of the participants were taken out, but not grievously injured. However, there were those whose extent of injuries would probably take months heal. Still, it was already a miracle in itself that no one died in the encounters.

However, the worst thing about the results was that only nine (three teams) out of the twenty shinobi advancing to the second round were attending the Ninja Academy, one of whom was actually forced to back out due to the extent of his injuries. It was most appalling, a slap in the face to the Sandaime, for the results reflected just how much the quality of shinobi education had deteriorated, and many of these things which the Third suspected led to this scenario were Sarutobi's own suggestions.

The Sandaime, though heavy at heart, knew that something had to be done. Their current system, while giving a lot of freedom and privileges, had only been serving to weaken the foundation that was provided for the younger generation, and in effect, the future of the Hidden Leaf Village. And no matter how much he wanted to ignore it, his eyes were now wide opened to the truth, and there was no possible way for him to close them...

It will be difficult, but the Third Hokage knew that there were changes in policy that had to made, to protect the village's future. He will still be able to balance things out between his heart and his logic, but the current system, as it stands, had to be drastically changed.

And as he brought himself out from his thoughts, to focus on the match that was about to commence, he could not help but wonder about the enigmatic young pinkette who was making her way down to the arena, the girl who had opened Sarutobi's eyes to the truth. There were many things about her that was still a mystery, many questions about her that the Sandaime want answered, including one which concerned a certain nine-tailed fox.

However, one thing was for certain. Whatever secrets she may be hiding... she was definitely special. For the Sandaime could not help but notice, that the girl named Haruno Sakura...

... had some of the qualities fitting of a leader...

... qualities fitting of a Hokage...

**-BREAK-**

(Asuma POV)

The crowd was becoming quieter. The noise was starting to die down, as the two competitors made their way down to the arena. It was the first match of the day.

And among the audience, two adult males were talking, with a look that stated that they held more interest at the upcoming match than the rest of the spectators.

"So Shikamaru and that girl are up first huh?" stated a tall muscular man with a cigarette in one hand, who goes by the name Asuma Sarutobi. "This should prove interesting."

"Indeed it would," nodded the one he was talking to in agreement, a man who was more or less identical to the boy who was currently down at the arena. "To be honest with you, Asuma, I have never seen Shikamaru this motivated before."

"Motivated?" inquired a voice, belonging to a red-eyed woman who had joined in on the conversation, in disbelief. "I do not see any difference. He seems bored like always."

"Kurenai," Shikamaru's father greeted the female kunoichi.

"No, Shikaku's right," stated Asuma. "There is something different about him today." And indeed, the wind elemental son of the Third Hokage could tell. To most people who did not know Shikamaru well enough, he would look like he always have. However, the man, like Shikaku, had noticed the different look in the boy's eyes, which were alight with anticipation, unlike the normal dull and uncaring look they had.

"We shall see, Asuma, we shall see," replied the red-eyed woman in a sceptical voice.

The three jounins stopped their conversation, to give their full attention to the match that was about to begin.

"Now I assume you already know the rules, but I will repeat it just once more," began the shinobi who introduced himself as Genma in a loud voice, and was serving as their referee," stated the referee. "The fight ends when one of you either surrenders or has been rendered incapable of continuing battle, though I will be the judge of that. Also, if both of you are no longer in any condition to fight, it will be considered a draw and you will both be eliminated. Am I clear?"

The two fighters, merely nodded silently, not taking their eyes off each other.

"Alright... first match... Nara Shikamaru versus Haruno Sakura..." stated Genma, as he raised his hand into the air.

The audience in the arena had now become silent, the air becoming tense, as the two combatants had now moved some distance from each other, assuming a fighting stance...

The referee then brought down his raised hand, shouting as he did so.

"...BEGIN!"

Suddenly, without warning, the moment the signal to start was given, black blurs started hurtling through the air, as one of the two competing shinobi began throwing shuriken at his opponent, while the other ninja began dodging them. The stadium had once again become noisy, cheering for their respective bets (they were gambling, literally betting their money, as to who would win, not that it was illegal.)...

Nara Shikamaru had made the first move...

**-BREAK-**

(Multi-person POV)

**At the bleachers**

"YOU CAN DO IT, SHIKAMARU!" yelled a blonde-haired girl whose name was Ino and a f-healthy boy who went by the name Chouj, as they cheered for their teammate. (The competitors, after all were allowed to stay anywhere, as long as it is within the stadium.).

At the same time, on another side of the arena, a bun-haired girl, Tenten and a blonde-haired boy named Naruto, were doing the same for their pink-haired friend.

"GO FOR IT, SAKURA-CHAN!|

"YEAH! KICK THAT GUY'S LAZY ASS!"

"Now this is unexpected," began a female voice, belonging to a jounin kunoichi, who goes by the name Yuuhi Kurenai, as she watched the event which was transpiring down in the arena. "It's seems like I was wrong. He really seems like he's motivated."

"You've no idea," added the boy's father, Shikaku, in a tone that was noticeably wearier than his already normally weary tone. "Did you know, he kept me up all night last night asking me for advice? We were awake up to 1am in the morning... and he's normally already asleep at seven."

"Advice for what?" asked the more muscular of the two male shinobi, Sarutobi Asuma, curiosity in his tone.

"Oh?" stated the shadow user absentmindedly, before his face contorted from its usual lazy expression to its serious one. "He wanted to know how handle an opponent in a one on one battle, whose abilities(opponent) he does not know, and at the same time, knows what he(Shikamaru) is capable of."

"What?" said Asuma and Kurenai at the same time (blushing slightly at the timing), their voice full of incredulity.

"Indeed," the Nara replied, nodding as he did so. "And just to let you know, when he was asking me for advise, I believe the particular opponent he had in mind is the one he is fighting right now. Fate really does seem to have a good sense of humor."

"I see," replied the wind elemental male jounin, as he nodded in understanding. He did not know exactly what transpired, but it seemed like something may have happened between Shikaku's son and the pinkette. And from the look on Shikamaru's face, it may have something to do with his pride. He may be a lazy bum, but Asuma was sure that the boy, like any other man, had it. "So what kind of advice did you give him Shikaku?"

"I gave him two options... the first of which of course, is to surrender the match..." replied the Nara, which made his two jounin companions raise their eyebrows.

"You told him to..." began Kurenai, but the shadow user cut her off.

"You know as well as I do that that would be the best course of action in such a situation," stated Shikaku in matter-of-factly-tone. "Not knowing what your enemy is capable of is a grave disadvantage, and it's even worse... much worse, if they know what you can do. In such a situation the best option would be to flee. However..."

At this, the Nara took a deep threat to clear his throat before continuing...

"However, if escape was not option, and you are backed into a corner, then the best option would be..."

"...to throw everything you have at your enemy," Asuma completed the sentence, as if knowing what the other male jounin was thinking.

"I still don't understand," stated the red-eyed kunoichi, Kurenai, a tone of confusion in her voice.

The three jounins fell silent, as all of them were thinking along the same lines. To gamble and do everything in your power in confrontation was only the second best option, and should only be considered if one had no other choice. However...

Nara Shikamaru was not in such a situation. He had the option to give up, to surrender, to forfeit. He could have simply thrown the fight and saved himself all the trouble. And judging from the boy's nature (which he undoubtedly inherited from his father), that would have undoubtedly been the option he would have taken. And yet...

He did not surrender. He did not forfeit. Instead, he stood his ground, fighting a difficult battle which he could have avoided. So why? Why would Shikamaru, the lazy Nara, go through such lengths?

It was most unexpected. None of them, not Asuma, not Kurenai, nor Shikaku(despite his intelligence), the boy's father, knew in entirety what the young shadow user's reasons were. However, the red-eyed female kunoichi, who was now looking at the young Nara in a new light, sighed, for she knew that whatever were the boy's motivations were, they could be summed up in one word...

_Men,_ thought Kurenai, as she continued to silently watch the fight with more interest...

**With Shikamaru**

Whoosh!

Clang!

Clang!

Whoosh!

Clang!

Clang!

_What a drag,_ thought Shikamaru, as he continued throwing his arsenal of weapons at his pink-haired adversary, sweat beginning to form on his forehead, his breathing becoming heavier by the second.

It had not been easy for the young shadow user, keeping up his momentum, with what little time he spent keeping his body fit. True, he did spend some time training, but most of it(time) he still spent either sleeping and lazing around, and now he was regretting it.

Yes, the young Nara had already expected it. He did not know exactly what the opponent he was facing, Haruno Sakura, was capable of, but based from her presence alone, he was able to tell that the girl had shinobi training, even though she had not attended the Ninja Academy.

And indeed, she was quite skilled. No matter how much Shikamaru tried, despite the fact that he had good aim (Shikamaru may be a lazy bum, but his average at successfuly hitting his targets with his weapons is 9/10), he was unable to land a single hit on the pinkette. She moved around the battlefield with poise, dodging and blocking the barrage of weapons that was being hurled by the shadow user at her. Still...

_Just a little more,_ thought the Nara, as he gritted his teeth. It was the first time, in his entire life, that he had voluntarily pushed himself to his limits (the involuntary ones of course, involved his terrifying mother).

Yes, he was tiring. Shikamaru was getting exhausted, and his supply of weapons was almost completely used up. However...

... that did not mean that he did not have plan. Still, despite the fact that he had something in store for his opponent, Shikamaru could not help but feel of tinge of regret, as he remembered what transpired the day before. Had he not shown a certain technique in front of her, to restrain a certain ob-healthy friend of his from going berserk on a certain blonde-haired boy (who accidently slammed onto his fa-healthy friend, which ended up in the st-healthy boy losing his bag of chips), he would have had other options available. However, what was done was done, and there was no point dwelling...

The young shadow user had now stopped his barrage weapons. Murmurs could be heard from the crowd, some muttering that he had run out of weapons, and that he was done for. However...

_Right,_ thought Shikamaru, as he performed some hand seals. Everything was now in place. It was time to put his the next phase of his plan into action.

_**Shadow Imitation Jutsu**_

The young Nara's shadow had now begun extending toward the pink-haired girl, its user with every intent to capture her...

**With Sakura**

A certain pink-haired girl could not help but frown, not noticing that her annoyance had become visible on the emotionless mask of a face she was wearing, as she dodged the onslaught of weapons left and right, moving all over the battlefield.

Yes, she was used to this kind of situation. She had a lot of training done after all, and dodging projectiles was one of them, so it was not really much of big deal. Still, she could not help but feel somehow impressed at the boy she was facing. Not only was he able to throw his weapons swiftly and with precision, he was also painfully observant, watching his opponent's every movement. And from what Sakura could tell, the Nara was studying her every move, aiming his kunai and shuriken at critical points wherein it would be difficult to evade.

The Nara. A shinobi clan whose unique ability was related to manipulating the shadows. True, Sakura had heard and read about them, as well as their signature jutsu, but the day before was the first time she had seen it in action... and what it can do was indeed worrisome.

It was rather fortunate, in the pinkette's opinion, that she managed to get a glimpse of the technique being performed in her presence... otherwise, she would have been unprepared. The jutsu, as she had observed, just like what was written in the scrolls (The scrolls contained information on the effects of the technique, not how it works, or the requirements to make it function, as these bits of info were Nara clan secrets, and only they know about it), enabled the user to disable by merging the user's shadow with the target's, thus rendering him immobile. And not only would the target be unable to move, the user of the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, just like the name suggests, could control his opponent's movements, forcing the victim to mimic his captor's movements... and that in itself was a decisive advantage.

Sakura had not yet seen the full extension of the shadow, but she knew that it would be best not to get too close to the Nara, as it would render her vulnerable. Having never been placed under the technique before, the pinkette did not yet know all of the details about the ability, whether or not it was possible to break it, or if she would be able to resist control of her movements... but she did not want to risk it. It was best not get caught up in it.

Soon the Nara stopped his barrage of projectiles, probably exhausting his artillery. Sakura readied herself, as Nara performed some handseals.

_Here it comes,_ thought the pinkette, and a second later, she was once again dodging, not kunai or shuriken, but her opponent's shadow, literally, that was now stretching swiftly towards her.

His abilities were quite commendable, of that Sakura had no doubt of. However, the boy had plenty of openings, openings which the pinkette knew she could exploit. Not only that, but while his attacks were not that bad, they were proving to be quite predictable, and thus easy to anticipate. And based from what she had seen, it would be easy for her to take down her opponent. His jutsu was predictable, his weapons were spent... Sakura now had an overwhelming advantage.

And it was for precisely this reason that the pink-haired girl was feeling worried. On the surface, it would appear as if she completely had the upper hand. However...

Her instincts, Sakura's instincts, which she trusts with her life, told her that it was not the case. It only appeared that she had advantage, it was merely a facade...

As she recounted and reassessed the boy's assault, she had noted two things. First, was the fact that the boy had not attacked with both his projectiles and his Shadow Imitation Jutsu at the same time. For as she observed, the moment that the technique was activated, it did not require the user to maintain a pose, and could therefore manipulate the shadow while the body was free to do what it wants. Whatever the case, combining both types of attack would have produced good results.

Second, was the strange feeling she got when the Nara was launching his barrage of shuriken. While it was true that most of them were aimed at her, she could feel any intent coming from her opponent at all, as if his attempts were half-hearted. Also, she could not help but notice that some were missing her and were off the mark, as if it were deliberate... and the pink-haired girl did not like it.

_He's planning something... _thought the pinkette, her eyes narrowing slightly, continuing to dodge the shadow, as she saw the determined expression on the Nara's face.

A few more seconds passed, the battle still progressing in the same pace. Whatever the boy had planned, Sakura knew that he had to initiate it soon.

BOOM!

"?!"

Without warning, the ground beside Sakura suddenly ignited, barely managing to escape the explosion, which created a small crater on the ground.

BOOM!

_So that's his game,_ curse Sakura mentally, as she dodged yet another explosion, at the spot where she had just escaped into.

The pink-haired female could not help but feel a mixture of worry and annoyance, as she realized that the ground she was moving in was covered with kunai and shuriken... which were not really kunai or shuriken... but, as Sakura guessed, were explosive tags disguised as such, strategically placed to hinder her movement.

**With Shikamaru**

BOOM!

A pink-haired was cursing under her breath, managing to get out of harm's way just in the nick of time. However, just as she had manoeuvred herself out of harm's way, another explosion occurred.

BOOM!

Another explosion occurred, at the spot where she had just moved into less than a second before, once again forced to move...

BOOM!

Then, another explosion occurred.

BOOM!

And another...

BOOM!

And another...

"?!"

Suddenly, as if sensing something, the girl jumped back more distance than usual, just in time to avoid getting caught by her opponent's Shadow Imitation Jutsu.

_Damn, nearly got her there,_ tsked Shikamaru, sighing inwardly, as he set off another explosion, which the pinkette had once again managed to get away from unscathed.

Things, as far as the Shadow user was concerned, were going according to plan... well, partially at least.

When he started throwing projectile at the pinkette was not, as most spectators believed, to try and hit her with them, but rather, to set up traps, explosive tags disguised as regular weapons all over the arena. While it seemed like he had been attacking recklessly and uselessly depleting his weaponry, that was not really the case.

Since Shikamaru did not have any idea what Haruno was capable of, he decided to take a careful approach... by being aggressive, and striking first, not giving his opponent the opportunity to organize and compose herself. And at the same time, while he was it, he was actually setting up traps, converting the battlefield, to one in which the shadow user was at an advantage, and he had succeeded in doing so.

And so, having gained the upperhand, the Shadow User, unwilling to give the pinkette an opportunity to think up a strategy, immediately proceeded with the next phase of his plan, by activating the traps he had set up. Originally, Shikamaru had been planning to ignite them all at once. However, as he studied his opponent's speed and movement, he realized that it would prove useless. If he were to do so, he calculated that the girl would escape it, without a doubt. He did not know if the pinkette could perform a Substitution or Clone jutsu, so just to be on the safe side, decided not to (Not to mention the fact that he would absolutely hate accidentally killing a girl, which he had no intention of doing, despite his seriousness). Also, a large explosion after all, would kick up a lot of dust, and it would therefore leave Shikamaru blind even for a moment, and he had no intention of taking his eyes off the girl. He may be a lazy bum, but he was sure he was observant enough to notice if a jutsu like kawarimi (substitution) has been performed, and he would lose this edge if he took his eyes off her for even a second.

Now that the battlefield has been set to his liking, Shikamaru began initiating his plan to capture her in his family's signature jutsu, Shadow Imitation. He already had things planned out once she was captured, and with the aid of his explosive traps, he was sure he would be able to catch her eventually...

Or not...

_Damn it, this is getting nowhere!_ thought Shikamaru, the expression on his faced not one of bored annoyance, but one of impatient irritation, gritting his teeth, as the girl had once again nimbly escaped his shadow's clutches.

The Nara could not help but feel worried now, panting, as his face shining with sweat. He had not counted on the girl lasting this long against his carefully planned out strategy. She had managed to avoid taking damage from the explosions, while evading Shikamaru's technique at the same time, and it did not bode well for the shadow user. His chakra reserves were running low, only enough to maintain his jutsu for another three minutes, and his traps were being used up. And based from the fact that the girl did not look that exhausted, as well as they way she moved (not to mention the fact that she had not yet thrown a single kunai, which meant that her stock of weapons was still at full capacity), Shikamaru could tell that he would probably have no chance against her should the fight drag on. He was already really tired, while the girl, despite all the running around did not seem to be breathing heavily at all.

_I have to end this soon... guess I have no choice then, _thought the young Nara to himself with a sigh, as he prepared himself to initiate the next phase of his plan... one which he would have preferred not using.

It was risky tactic, he knows that for a fact, but with the current situation, he did not really have much of a choice. Either that, or accept defeat. For if the fight continues to drag on, the young shadow user knew that he would run out of tools, chakra and stamina... and he would definitely lose...

_Here goes nothing,_ sighed the young Nara, but with a determined expression on his face, as he took out the remaining contents of his weapons pouch...

**Back at the bleachers**

"I think it is safe to say that we already have a winner," stated Kurenai, as she observed the young Nara down in the arena.

It was not a comment that held prejudice. It was a logical statement, based on observation. True, he had done his best, and the red-eyed female could not help but feel a bit of respect for the son of her friend, for she had rarely ever seen such determination coming from a young Nara (no offense to the rest of the clan of course). However, despite his drive, it was unlikely for him the match. He was sweating, exhausted, and breathing, which was noticeable even in the distance, even in the eyes of the regular spectators.

The pink-haired girl, Haruno Sakura, was simply at too high a level for the shadow user to keep up with, at least in terms of speed and stamina, and had in fact not yet revealed any of her abilities, save for her excellent dodging skills. She had not been given a chance to make a counterattack, since the Nara immediately went on the offensive and kept his momentum, but the young shadow user was tiring. The plan he had carefully set up has backfired, and all the pinkette had to do as to be patient, to wait it out, until her opponent runs out of chakra.

"Don't count him out just yet, Kurenai," said a voice in response, belonging Asuma, while Shikamaru's father nodded in agreement.

The female genjutsu mistress stared at the man who gave out that statement curiously, for he was wearing a confident smile in his face.

"It's not over yet," stated Asuma. "The boy's eyes are still alive... he hasn't given up yet. And knowing a Nara... he's bound to have one more ace up his sleeve."

BOOOOOM!

"?!"

All around, cries could be heard, as a cloud of white smoke engulfed the entirety of the arena, obscuring the competitors from view.

Everyone in the audience was trying to look through the thick mist, unable to see what going on, in anticipation...

After a while, the cloud gradually became thinner and thinner, and when it finally dissipated...

"SAKURA!" cried a blonde-haired boy and a bun-haired girl at the same time, worry in their voice, while the shadow users friends were crying out in delight...

"WAY TO GO, SHIKAMARU! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!" shouted Ino loudly.

"He got her!" stated Kurenai, unable to hide the tone in her voice that indicated that she was both surprised and impressed. And as she turned to take a glance at the male wind elemental jounin, she saw him wearing a triumphant smirk on his face, with an implied and unworded 'What did I tell you?'

For down on the arena, standing about three meters apart from each other, were Haruno Sakura and Nara Shikamaru, their shadows connected...

The young Nara's plan was a success...

**With Shikamaru**

The shadow user could not help but sigh in relief, taking in a deep breath, the tension in his muscles loosening for the first time throughout the entire match. For finally, after a long and hard struggle, he had managed to catch his opponent in his Shadow Imitation Jutsu.

It had not been easy, catching her. It took every bit of cunning that the shadow user had to do so successfully. However, he had finally been able to catch her off guard. Using the smoke from the bombs he had dropped as, while detonating all of the remaining explosive tags at the same time as a cover, he had finally managed to catch his pink-haired female opponent off guard. He knew, in his state, that it would be unwise to get close to her for too long, so instead of attempting to knock her out, he simply touched her arm for a second... which was enough to bound her to his Shadow Imitation Jutsu. And now...

"Do you surrender?" asked Shikamaru, addressing the girl Haruno Sakura, who was now under the influence of the shadow user's jutsu.

The girl, however, did not respond, and merely continued staring at the Shikamaru straight in the eye.

"Stubborn one, aren't you?" stated the young Nara with a sigh, although the continued silence from the pinkette was something he was not expecting. For he expected this opponent, in case captured, would likely try to stall for time, engaging him in senseless conversation, while thinking of a countermeasure. It was miscalculation... however, it was not major one.

Knowing that the clock was ticking on him as his chakra reserves were running out, the young Nara took out a kunai from his pouch, an action which, through the binding of their shadows, was imitated by the pinkette who did the same thing.

"Do you surrender?" repeated the Nara, as he brought the weapon to his neck, while the pink-haired female mimicked the action.

For Shikamaru, knowing the limitations of his technique, had come up with a clever way to utilize it to its full advantage. To do so, he had worn a metal plating around his neck. If the young Nara were to slash himself in the area, all of it would do to him at worse was scratch the metallic ring, whereas his opponent would have their throat slit...

The audience was now silent, undoubtedly due to the tension in the air, while a few gasps could be heard.

A few more seconds, which felt like minutes passed, with both fighters in this position. And as things continued, the young Nara could not help but frown in annoyance, as the pinkette had maintained her silence, the look on her face was one of defiance.

_What a drag... why the hell are women like this?_ thought the Nara, sighing once again. While it was true that he already had the critical advantage, he had absolutely no intention of following through with his plan. He did not want to kill the girl. However, he could not stand idly by and do nothing either. For as of the moment, he only had enough chakra to maintain his shadow jutsu for a little over a minute.

Realizing that if he dragged on further, he might lose his leverage, the young Nara decided that it would be best to take out the pinkette. He did not have the heart to make her slice her neck, so instead he would forcibly lead her towards a wall, and have the female bang her head on it, knocking her out.

_Here goes nothing,_ thought the shadow user, sighing once again. He was about to proceed with his course of action, when...

"What the..." he gasped.

The young Nara could not help but feel shocked, unable to understand what was happening. For he found himself unable to move. Then, to his dismay, he found himself lose control over his technique, and his shadow had now receded, which freed the girl from her capture.

Slowly, the pinkette, freed from the influence of the shadow, walked calmly towards the shadow user, stopping about a foot away from her opponent.

The young Nara's eyes could not help but widen in shock and horror, as the girl stated the words which he had told her just a moments before

"Do you surrender?" inquired the girl named Haruno Sakura, looking her opponent straight in the eyes as she pointed her kunai at her opponent's heart.

Realizing the situation he was in, the young shadow user, who had no cards left to play, tired, exhausted, unable to move, unable to utilize his technique, went for the only course of action that was left available...

"I FORFEIT!" shouted the Nara, acknowledging his defeat.

**-BREAK-**

(Sakura POV)

"WINNER: HARUNO SAKURA!"

Instead of cheering, however, the declaration of the result was instead met by a stunned silence, at the unexpected turn of tables which occurred. After a few moments, however, a clap could be heard from the audience... started by a certain old man in a red and white outfit... the Hokage. Slowly, the rest of the audience followed suit, until the eerie silence had been replaced by applause.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"?!"

However, the pinkette couldn't care any less about such trivial matters as applaud and praise from the watchers... nor did she have any time to do so, as she found herself being hugged by her two best friends, Naruto and Tenten.

"_**Well done, Sakura..."**_ stated a voice in the girl's head.

_Kurama? _ inquired the girl. The fox, however, did not respond, and the pinkette realized that the kitsune had only briefly entered her mindscape. The bijuu, for some reason, was still brooding and keeping her distance.

It had not been an easy fight, for the girl named Haruno Sakura. Her opponent, Nara Shikamaru, was unlike what she had originally thought he was. She had severely misjudged him, and while she did manage to win the match, she was still forced to use one of her cards.

_**Kitsune Arts: Eyes of Binding.**_ An ability which enables the user to immobilize the target. By sending chakra to the intended victim's system through eye contact, the user of the skill is able to literally stop any and all of the target's movements, leaving them stiff as a statue. However, this particular technique is only effective if the amount of chakra used to perform it is sufficiently higher than the amount that is currently held by the target... otherwise, it would only slow them down, not stop them completely. However, since Sakura's opponent had been using up his chakra for his shadow jutsu, not to mention the fact that the pinkette had considerably high reserves of it (chakra), she was able to pull it off.

Still, while it was true that she was victorious, she could not help but feel respect towards the Nara, who managed to give her a hard time. Despite all her efforts not to get caught, the shadow user still managed to trap Sakura in his technique. True, Sakura was certain that she could have broken out if she wanted to, but it would have taken her an enormous effort. Overall, had it not been for the fact that she had that eye technique, having been caught by the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, the escape alternative would have been one of her aces, her 'specialties', which she preferred to keep a secret for the time being.

"...WOULD THE FIGHTERS PLEASE COME TO THE CENTER OF THE ARENA..."

The pink-haired girl, was brought out from her thoughts, by Genma's, the referee and commentator , announcement. (For some reason, the snake-using kunoichi, Mitarashi Anko, had been removed from her commentator task).

Soon the two fighters had appeared, both of whom had identical white eyes...

Murmurs could be heard among the crowd, as the two made their way to the middle of the arena...

"So it's a battle between siblings I see," mused a voice from the audience. "The heiresses to their clan. Now this should be interesting..."

The two combatants were now facing each other, the blue-haired one with a look of disdain, while the black-haired one had a look of mixed nervousness and determination, both of whom were taking a similar fighting stance, as the referee raised his hand...

"Round two... Hyuuga Hanabi vs Hyuuga Hinata..."

The referee brought his arm swishing downwards, as he shouted...

"...BEGIN!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. I must say it took a lot out of me to make this chapter. Fight scenes are not really my specialty after all, so I hope you forgive me if it's not too nicely done. Still, I hope that it's good enough to be read and understood at least, though like i said it's not really my forte...

Anyway, someone commented about having me join the dark side. Well, I don't really intend to reveal much here about what I'll do with the pairings... though yeah there's a 50-50 chance of 'that.' However, even if that is the case, I have no intention of turning this into a multi.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Later then, people...


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12: TOURNAMENT PART 2-2  
**

(Multi-person POV)

**At the bleachers**

The match preceding the current one, which was between the shadow user and the pinkette, had indeed left the audience speechless, caused by the great performance of skill and intelligence, although it was obvious to the trained ninja's eyes, like the red-eyed female kunoichi's, that one of them had been severely holding back. In fact, Shikamaru himself admitted, as his father, Shikaku, along with Asuma and Kurenai, as well as his(Shikamaru's) friends Ino and Chouji, that he knew that his chances of winning against Haruno Sakura, was less than 10%, and if she were serious... that chance would go even lower. Still, the young Nara managed a small wise, before it was once again replaced by his typical bored expression that mirrored his father's saying that he had found a worthy rival. (While his expression went back to his usual dull one, the light in the young Nara's eyes remained.).

However, all of these were forgotten, and put at the corner of everyone's mind, as they witnessed how the second match progressed... but for a completely different reason...

The world around the arena was eerily quiet. There was no noise that could be heard, neither cheers or boos coming from the audience, all of them with their mouths slightly open in shock, and only the sound of their breathing and crows from the distance could be heard, as they tried to comprehend the battle that was unfolding before them...

And the female jounin, whose name was Kurenai, whose expression was normally neutral and emotionless, wore a stunned look on her face, who was clearly more surprised than the other onlookers, more surprised than even her companions, Shikaku and Asuma, who had also not been expecting to witness such a scene, her attention focused on a certain white-eyed, blue-haired girl..

For the fight which had occurred was shocking... no, it couldn't even be considered a fight...

Things had seemed rather even at the start, as neither of the fighters had been able to land a hit on the other. As the battle progressed however, the gap between the two combatants had become painfully obvious...

The worst part, however, was not the fact the fact that one of the fighters was winning effortlessly... but rather, it was the way the stronger of the two handled the battle which many in the audience had found greatly disturbing...

"Hinata... what happened to you," stated Kurenai, unaware that she was speaking her mind, for she was too struck to even notice, unable to accept that what was happening before her was real...

For Hyuuga Hinata, the girl who the red-eyed jounin to be a shy, quiet, good-natured individual, was currently wearing a cruel expression on her face, as she painfully held her younger sister, Hanabi, by the hair...

**With Hinata**

"So, is this really all you've got, heiress of the Hyuuga clan?" inquired a female voice coldly, belonging to a certain girl with blue hair and white eyes, as she let go of her younger sister, who was now currently kneeling on the ground in front of her, coughing up blood. "I didn't even have to use my Byakugan against you... how disappointing..."

The former Hyuuga heiress, Hinata, who was currently facing off against her younger sister and rightful Hyuuga heiress, Hanabi, could not help but scowl in annoyance, finding the battle to be boring and uninteresting...

"I will ask you once again, heiress of the Hyuuga clan," she began, refusing to call her sibling by her real name, addressing her by her title instead, as she had always done, although this time it was not in respect nor in defeat, but in a tone which was full of mockery. "Do you surrender?"

The younger of the two however, despite the fact that she was in pain, as well as obviously outclassed in every way, simply glared at the older one in response, as she finally managed to stand, once again placing herself in a stance, before charging at the blue-haired female, lauching a flurry of punches, putting everything ounce of energy she had left into them, in a last ditch effort...

Which proved to be futile and a complete waste of time, as her elder sister, who was her opponent, easily blocked every single one of her strikes.

Watching her younger sister struggle, Hinata was unable to suppress a cruel smile from forming on her lips, enjoying the sight of her sibling's suffering, and the fact that she(Hinata) was the one causing it only added to her amusement.

And as she continued towering over Hanabi, who was currently grovelling on the ground, the older Hyuuga female's smile turned into a scowl, as she heard some of the comments coming from the audience, who were sympathizing with her younger sister's plight, talking about how pitiful she was... and how cruel, her older sister was being... Oh, if only they knew how Hinata had been treated in her own clan simply because she(Hanabi) existed...

Not that she held any grudge against her because of it. In fact, despite the fact she had taken away so many things from her, Hinata did not have any ill-will towards her sister. In fact, she(Hinata) had actually avoided confronting her younger sister, refusing to spar with her, telling her that she can keep her place and privileges as the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, since Hinata did not really care about the position, and neither saw it as important nor of value.

So then, why was blue-haired female torturing her younger sister despite bearing her no ill-will? Well, the answer was simple...

...Hinata was furious, and her blood was boiling. And although Hanabi was not the cause of it, she simply had the unfortunate timing of being the one in the line of fire, at such a time when the older Hyuuga female was in such a mood.

"Pathetic," stated the former Hyuuga heiress, at her squirming younger sister, who she(Hinata) was once again holding by the hair.

And it was such a mood that she was in indeed, Hinata's emotions were a mix of rage, joy and excitement. Rage, at the mere sight of the person she hated most in the world... Joy and excitement, at the fact that said hated person managed to win her match, which meant that the blue-haired female's chance... of destroying her with her own hands without any repercussions (since the death of a fellow competitor by one's hands would not be condemned)... had increased...

"Hey, wake up," said Hinata, addressing her opponent, who she realized had fallen unconscious, giving her sister swift slaps in the face in an attempt to wake her up. Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain.

"Hey, wake up!" shouted the former Hyuuga heiress, as she repeated the process.

_Aw, now that's no fun,_ thought the girl to herself with a sigh. After all, from her point of view, it was useless attacking someone who was knocked out, since they would be unable to feel the pain.

Realizing that there was no point continuing her efforts, Hyuuga Hinata... decided that it was time to end things...

"Enough," stated a voice suddenly, coming from the person who had suddenly appeared beside the Hyuuga heiress, grabbing her free arm, that had been inching its way toward her younger sister's neck to crush it. It was Genma, the referee for the matches.

At this, Hinata could not help but scowl in annoyance, at the fact that someone had dared to spoil her fun. However, the blue-haired girl, with enormous effort, restrained herself from killing the one who had interrupted her entertainment, letting her sister drop to the ground, before walking away, oblivious to the shocked and disapproving reaction of the crowd, completely ignoring the hostile intent that were being sent her way by her younger sister's teammates who had appeared at their friend's side, as Hanabi was put on a stretcher, to be brought to the infirmary, for treatment.

"You will pay for this..." muttered a female voice, belonging to silver-haired girl, through gritted teeth.

For if Hinata were to attack the examiner, she would blow her chances of legitimately humiliating and destroying a certain pinkette.

"WINNER: HYUUGA HINATA!"

The former Hyuuga heiress could not help but smirk, as she looked up to the bleachers, meaningfully locking eyes with a certain pink-haired girl (who glared back at Hinata) for a moment, before continuing on her way towards the location of her teammates (She may not care much about them, but they were still useful to Hinata in pushing further with her plans.).

It was sad, in the white-eyed girl's opinion, that a certain blonde-haired boy had to see her acting like the way she was, the look on his face clearly stating that he did not like what he did. However, Hinata knew that that was understandable, and the only reason he was looking at her in such a manner was because a certain someone had been poisoning his mind.

The moment that certain someone was eliminated, the moment Hinata showed him that that certain someone was useless and a nobody, the moment Hinata proved to him that she did not need her... the moment she freed him from her clutches...

She could wait. She would wait, until the two of them were facing off against each other, at which time she will no longer be holding back...

After all...

Patience is a virtue...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

"Third match... Rock Lee vs. Akimich Chouji... BEGIN!"

"KONAHA SENPUU!" shouted the thick browed boy clad in a ridiculous green jumpsuit, before he, with incredible speed that turned him into a blur, charged at towards his chubby opponent.

The second match was, by far, as far as Naruto was concerned, was one of the most brutal fights he had seen in his life, one which shook the audience to a certain extent. Some of them were feeling annoyed, owing to the fact that most of them (as Naruto guessed from their conversations before the match began) probably bet their money on Hanabi, the Hyuuga heiress, winning the match. However, it seemed that the rumours regarding the information as to who was the stronger of the two, was either incorrect or outdated, but they were proven wrong...

Others, however, were commenting on the cruelty that was shown by the older Hyuuga female, especially to her own sister, pitying the younger. The shinobi among the audience, however, knew better, as some of them were commenting on the harshness and brutality of competition for the position of clan heir or heiress, and since the Hyuuga clan had such high prestige, they did not really find the turn of events (with the exception of a few who seemed to know the girls personally) surprising.

What bothered Naruto the most, however, was not the match that they had witnessed. No, the reason why he was worried, was due to the fact that the girl who he now knew as Hyuuga Hinata, though the blonde did not know the reason why...

...held a deep grudge and hatred for the young Uzumaki's best friend, Haruno Sakura, who in turn, seemed to share the same sentiment as the white-eyed female...

Perhaps they had some kind of run-in with each other? Perhaps some kind of disagreement, Naruto was not sure. However, he could not help but feel that the hatred may somehow be connected to the fact that he... the blonde-haired boy, himself, was somehow at fault.

For as far as he could remember, the Hyuugas were among those who (for whatever reason the young Uzumaki did not yet fully understand, although it may have something to with his 'Demon Brat' nickname) were the most active and open of showing their hatred and hostility towards him. In fact, just a few months prior, said clan sent some of its members to kill him... Yes, the Hyuugas hated him and wanted him dead, and, in extension, they probably also want his loved-ones dead.

And now another one of them had openly shown her hostility, although this time not directly towards him, but towards Naruto's pink-haired friend. The girl, whose name he now knew was Hyuuga Hinata, had sent a malicious glare in their direction.

Tenten was bullied and discriminated at the Ninja Academy, forcing her to dropout... Sakura was now a target of one of the most powerful clans in Konoha. Even though Naruto had managed to earn the respect of some people in the Hidden Leaf Village through his actions, there were still those who despised him with every fibre, a hatred which his two closest companions now shared with him. And as he pondered on these thoughts, the young Uzumaki could not help but feel guilty, sure that he was the one to blame for their predicament...

"... winner... ROCK LEE!"

The blonde-haired boy was brought out of his reverie, as he heard the referee shouting the result of the match, while the audience cheered, who, as Naruto noticed, seemed to have lightened up. Apparently, the battle between the two had somehow driven the brutality of the second match from their mind, replaced by the hilarity of the one which just transpired.

"Well, that was interesting," commented Sakura dryly, and although her voice was monotonous, the slight change in her tone proved her statement.

Chouji, the Akimichi, had transformed his body to become similar in shape to a large boulder/bowling ball. Unfortunately for him, his opponent, Rock Lee, was just too fast for him, and instead of playing the role of bulldozer, he (Chouji) ended up becoming the thick-browed boy's soccer ball, which greatly amused the spectators (although it was still brutal and humiliating, but in a different sense, since there was no malicious intent coming from the victor, his simple mind probably simply focused on winning).

"Ugh," voiced Tenten suddenly, as she watched a new development.

Unfortunately for the spectators, their amusement did not last long, as the young Akimichi, as he was being put onto a stretcher, began to throw up... vomiting straight into the clothes of one of the medic nins who had come to assist...

Still, despite the rather...disgusting turn of events, many of them were glad, that unlike in the previous match, they had bet their money on the right person. After all, while it was true that while the thick-browed boy was wearing such a horrible green costume, it was noticeable that his body was well-kept (even to a normal person's eyes.), for the presence of well-trained muscles was visible even through the suit. Whereas his opponent... well, based from his layer of cholesterol, hardly anyone wanted to gamble their money on him...

Suddenly, the blonde-haired boy could not help but feel himself become nervous, as he saw the names of the combatants for the next fight appear on the screen.

"Would Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino please come to the center of the arena?" stated the voice of Genma, the examiner and commentator for the tournament.

The young Uzumaki took one glance at his friends, who nodded at him, Tenten smiling, while Sakura maintaining an emotionless face, although both of them wished him good luck...

"Remember our training, and you'll be just fine," he heard his pink-haired best friend call after him...

For a moment, the blonde-haired boy stopped moving, as he prepared himself mentally, clearing his mind of all thoughts, so that he would be able to give complete focus and attention to the match, before he continued walking from the bleachers towards the arena, where the blonde-haired female was already waiting, wearing a scowl on her face, complaining loudly about several nonsensical things, as she tapped one foot continuously on the ground out of impatience. The moment he arrived, however, her facial expression had become more serious... much more serious...

"Okay, now, are both fighters ready?" the proctor for the masked inquired, to which the two combatants nodded swiftly.

"Very well... fourth match... Uzumaki Naruto vs. Yamanaka Ino..."

The blonde-haired boy could not help but feel himself tense up, his body filling up with adrenaline, as he placed himself in a fighting stance, while his opponent did the same...

"BEGIN!"

**-BREAK-**

(Multi-person POV)

**At the bleachers**

THUD!

"Guh... DAMN YOU BLONDIE... I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!" shrieked Yamanaka Ino, panting heavily, as she once again charged at her opponent, holding a kunai in both her hands...

THUD!

Only to be tripped once again by her opponent...

And as the girl once again got up, screaming as she continued her offensive, a certain jounin shadow user, who went by the name Nara Shikaku, who normally showed almost no emotion, placed his hand on his forehead...

"Pathetic," stated a female voice, which belonged to Kurenai, the red-eyed genjutsu user, beating the shadow user to the punch, who undoubtedly had the same opinion of the battle as her two companions.

"I need a smoke," muttered Asuma, as he fumbled in his pockets for another cigarette, before cursing under his breath, as he noticed that he had none left. So far, the matches had been exciting enough in their own way to distract the wind elemental jounin from his smoking habits. Unfortunately, the one that was currently occurring was not.

For the battle that presently occurring in front of them... well, it couldn't even be called a battle.

The first three matches, whatever the outcomes had been, were, in Asuma's opinion, at least good enough to merit his full attention. For each of the fighters, in their own way, had shown that they had potential, as well as conviction and determination, to become shinobi. Even Chouji, who lost his match in a most humiliating way, had proven himself worthy to become one, an opinion which he, as well as Shikaku and Kurenai, had agreed upon. True, he was fa-healthy, and had a lot of obsession with food, but his battle with the Gai's (to their horror) mirror image of a student, showed that he did indeed have the makings of a good ninja. He may have lost his fight (by being tossed and kicked around like a football by his thick-browed opponent), but he had shown that he was giving effort to his shinobi training. For starters, Chouji had good chakra control, which he showed when he momentarily avoided Lee's attack by attaching his feet to the wall of the arena. Second, while he was lacking in speed, he had great stamina, and even though he was beaten to a pulp, it took a lot of effort from Rock Lee to bring down Chouji. In fact, the boy in the green costume was actually panting heavily the moment he had brought his ob-healthy opponent down to his knees...

The fourth match, however, which was currently occurring in front of them... was different...

For one of the competitors was obviously lacking in the aspects required of a ninja. And that particular person is...

Perhaps it was due to how she was raised... perhaps it was due to the peaceful times... perhaps her parents were too busy and did not have enough time to train her... perhaps it was due to her infatuation of a certain Uchiha as a fangirl... Whatever the reasons were behind it, there was only one thing which was clear...

...Yamanaka ino did not have the qualities of a ninja... which was proven by several proofs...

First, she was incredibly noisy and talkative, even in the middle of a fight, when it was the basic rule for every ninja to have 'stealth,' and being a loudmouth did not help in the aspects.

However, this was, as far Asuma was concerned, not the main point. For there are cases when conversation and psychological warfare was a good tactic in crippling the mind of the opponent with well –placed words, even without jutsus, although conversing is normally used as a delaying tactic. No, the main reason why she was not worthy of being called a ninja, was due to the fact that for whatever reasons there are...

...she did not have any shinobi training, or if she did, judging by how weak she was, it could hardly even be called training...

And Asuma was sure, that even the girl's teammates, who were probably watching the match from a television set in the hospital wards (since Shikamaru was staying by his ob-healthy friend's side, who had been beaten in his previous match), probably felt the same way.

Yes, it was most disappointing. The girl, Ino, did not have a single trait that would even classify her as a possible future ninja. Her stamina was low, her movements were sloppy and not coordinated, and her chakra reserves were very low... As far as Asuma remembered, the Yamanaka was supposed to have larger reserves than a Nara or an Akimichi (except of course, when the Akimichi used their unique food pills that give enormous chakra boosts). And yet, here was Ino, a Yamanaka, whose chakra reserves were even lower than her teammate's, Shikamaru's.

To make matters worse, the girl did not even have a good enough sense of balance, nor did she have speed or stamina. Her opponent, Uzumaki Naruto, was dancing circles around her, and had actually managed to trip her three times in a row now, twice with the same trick. The girl would charge at her opponent with murderous intent. And while the aura could be considered good enough for a genin, the blonde-haired female could not back it with her actions: it was nothing but hot air. She was simply too slow, and all Uzumaki Naruto had to do was sidestep a bit, before sticking out his foot to trip the girl, who, due to running at full speed, could stop her charge, and ended up face-first onto the dusty arena floor. It was obvious that the blonde-haired boy was not even trying.

_I'm just glad her parents are not here to see this, _thought Asuma to himself, contenting himself with some chewing gum which he bought from the passing food vendor (Unfortunately for the heavy smoker, said vendor had run out of cigarette.). Still, the wind elemental jounin knew that they would still find about what happened (They would probably look at their daughter's memory, or learn from other people which could include Asuma, Shikaku and Kurenai, but at least they were not present during the actual match), and knowing Inoichi and his wife, they were unlikely to simply let it pass. Still, it would be for the best, if it meant that the girl would become stronger in the future, and will thus have a greater chance of surviving in the battlefield (That is, unless she was proven to be a complete failure and remained a civilian)...

**With Naruto**

"HYAAAAH!" screamed a voice in a battlecry, belonging to a blonde-haired female, as she started throwing kunai and shuriken at the blonde-haired boy who was the target.

Clang

Clang

Clang

Clang

Whoosh

Clang

Whoosh

Clang

Clang

The young Uzumaki, however, did not have much of a problem, and did not even move from where he was standing, merely blocking the kunai and shuriken that were successfully sent in his direction, in an almost lazy fashion...

At the start, the moment Naruto had felt the killing intent coming from his female opponent who was shouting all kinds of threats at him (although not as impressive as the one coming from Sakura), he had felt a bit nervous. After all, it would be his first time fighting someone who would not hold back or pull their punches against him in an official battle. True, he had been faced with dangerous situations before, but it was still the first time for him, to do so in an even playing field. Thus, the young Uzumaki, before the match, could not help but feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Now however...

_Damn, this is boring,_ thought the blonde-haired boy, sighing to himself, feeling disappointed, as he saw his opponent, who was currently five meters away from him, fall to her knees, panting heavily.

And indeed it was disappointing... terribly so. At first, Naruto had felt threatened, due to the fact that his opponent had been emitting a decent hostile intent. Now, however, he realized that it was simply that... a threat, a threat which, judging from the girl's abilities, she would not be able to follow through on... heck, out of the couple of dozen shuriken and kunai she had thrown, only half of them were on the mark... and only three of which were headed straight for his vital organs...

Even the audience, who had been on the edge of their seats during the previous matches, were now wearing bored expressions on their faces...

"COME ON!"

"IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE A FIGHT?!"

"HEY UZUMAKI! JUST FINISH IT SO THEY CAN START THE NEXT MATCH!"

Sighing once again, the blonde-haired boy took in a deep breath, before addressing his opponent. Still, he could not help but smile a bit, as he realized that there were people in the crowd who were supporting him. There were his two best friends, Sakura and Tenten... and there were also those people, who he had helped with their household problems, who had also become his friends, and thus no longer hated him.

"Do you surrender?" inquired the young Uzumaki. To the side, he could tell that the referee was watching their match intently, the look on his eyes telling that he would soon give a verdict...

Receiving no answer, as well as seeing the defiant look in her eyes (although she was no longer shouting, probably due to the fact that she could hardly breathe) the blonde-haired boy decided to approach the girl and knock her out, although with caution. After all, his opponent, Ino, was a Yamanaka, and they were well-known for their jutsu, which enable them to possess and control their opponent. However, the particular ability was risky to use, since the target has to be immobile for a sufficient period of time for it to work, or else they would suffer the repercussion. Still, since Naruto had never seen it performed before, so he kept his guard up as he approached the Yamanaka, watching her every movement as he got near her, always on the lookout for any change in the air...

Cautiously, the young Uzumaki moved, until he directly behind her. Then...

Chop

He struck the girl at the back of her neck with his hand, who slumped to the ground, unconscious.

_It's over,_ thought Naruto to himself, and was about to head back to the stands when...

"?!"

Poof!

"Fufufu, you fell for it...BA-KA," stated a female voice, its tone filled with amusement.

_Kawarimi!_**(Body Switching Tehnique), **thought the blonde-haired boy, his eyes wide with surprise, as he saw that the girl who he thought he had knocked unconscious, had turned into a log, and now the real one was currently standing in front of him.

_What is this?!_ thought the young Uzumaki to himself, as he found himself stuck to the ground, unable to move. Looking down on his feet, he could not help but scowl as he realized that he was stuck in something familiar.

"Do you like it?" stated Ino, who, despite looking very exhausted and worse for wear, was currently wearing a triumphant smile on her face. "That's Instant Quick Sand Solution for you."

The boy, whose name was Uzumaki Naruto, could not help but curse mentally. Instant Quick Sand Solution was one of his pranking inventions that had been, with Naruto's permission, massed produced by Haruno Merchandising. It was actually a clear liquid, a mixture of several substances, which, when poured onto most kinds of soil, will immediately turn it into sticky quicksand... And to add to that, the soil, despite its changed properties, would look exactly the same as before.

And now , Naruto was actually stuck between feeling proud at his invention or furious (with himself) for allowing himself to be a victim of one of his own creations...

"Now, I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep you stuck there forever," stated the female Yamanaka calmly but swiftly, in a business-like tone, as she began forming hand seals. "So I won't bother trying to ask you to surrender..."

At this, the blonde-haired female smirked maliciously, as she completed her hand seals...

"... after all, you are going to throw the fight, whether you want to or not..."

The blonde haired boy's blue eyes widened in horror, as he realized what his female opponent was about to do...

**Ninja Arts: Mind Transfer Jutsu **

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright. Now, just to be honest with you, I am debating as to whether or not to put up some characters stats here, since I have not yet fully revealed them (and to be honest with you, I'm still of ideas on this aspect), but I suppose it would not hurt to reveal some. Just don't be too disappointed if the stats for the characters are still incomplete. So now, without further ado, here we go. Note that all of these are subject to change as the story continues, since unlike servants, living people have the ability to improve, as well as learn new skills. Also do not compare my ranking of jutsus to the one in written in the wiki. There will undoubtedly be some similarities, but there will also be differences, especially since I will be introducing some jutsu which are not canon.

So basically, before reading the stats, note the following:

* * *

**Hierarchy of Levels**

**EX (Highest)**

**S**

**A**

**B**

**C**

**D**

**E**

**F (Lowest)**

The stats of a regular civilian, will be set from **F-(Minus)** to **E-(Minus).**

Genin Level stats, abilities, jutsus, etc. will be from **E **to **D+(Plus)**.

Chunin Level will be from **C-(Minus)** to **B**. Jounin Level will be from **B+(Plus) **to **A**. Kage level will be from **A+(Plus) **to **S+(Plus)**. As for the Bijuu's chakra, well, assuming that all of them, from one tails to nine tails, have an endless amount due to them being forces of nature, I suppose all of them should be at **EX, **the only thing is that their chakra is N/A unless they are completely free Bijuu (without a Jinchuuriki), or will be equal to the amount that they are using/are able to use/ are lending who they want to lend it to/ are able to lend to whoever they want to lend their chakra to, by whatever circumstances.

* * *

**Hierarchy of Official Ranks**

**Hokage (Highest)**

**Shinobi Council**

**Civilian Council**

**Clan Heads (Only applicable to the officially recognized shinobi clans in Konoha.)**

**Clan Heir/Heiress (Only applicable if the current clan leader is incapacitated or unavailable due to travelling, etc.)**

**Jounin**

**Chuunin**

**Genin**

**Academy Student**

**Civilian (Lowest)**

**Note that there will be exceptions to this rule, like the team leader getting a higher rank and authority during a mission even if he/she is basically lower in rank than the other members of the group, etc. etc. Also, if the Lord/Daimyo is present, then he is of higher rank and authority than the Hokage.**

* * *

**SHINOBI STATS**

* * *

**Name: Nara Shikamaru**

**Sex: Male**

**Affiliation: Konoha**

**Official Rank: Academy Student**

**Alignment: Lawful Selective**

**Basic Stats**

**Strength: E**

**Agility: D**

**Stamina: E**

**Willpower: B**

**Luck: ?**

**Chakra: D**

**Skills/Abilities/Jutsus**

**Ninja Arts: Shadow Imitation Technique: C**

**An ability of the Nara Clan which allows them to bind their shadow with their enemies, immobilizing them, as well as forcing them to mimic/imitate any action that is done by the user of the jutsu, although the user of the technique has the option to do so or to simply stop the target from moving.**

**Home Field Advantage: F-?**

**Due to his considerable intelligence, Shikamaru is able to make up for his lack of physical skills with his ability to strategize, one of which is his ability to turn a disadvantageous position into one in which he has the upper hand. Usefulness of ability, however, depends on several factors, which include time, tools available, as well as the opponent's own intelligence, etc. etc. **

* * *

**Name: Haruno Sakura**

**Sex: Female**

**Affiliation: Konoha**

**Official Rank: Civilian**

**Alignment: Lawful Selective**

**Basic Stats**

**Strength: ?**

**Agility: ?**

**Stamina: ?**

**Willpower: ?**

**Luck: ?**

**Chakra:?**

**Skills/Abilities/Jutsus**

**Familiar Creation: N/A**

**The ability to animate non-living objects, (though in Sakura's case she seems to prefer paper), thereby using it to send messengers. As of present, however, she is only capable of creating messenger familiars, which cannot be used for offensive purposes.**

**Kitsune Arts: Eyes of Binding: F-?**

**A skill which enables the user to immobilize the target, sending chakra to the intended victim's system, by means of eye contact. However, this particular technique is only effective if the amount of chakra used to perform it is higher than the amount that is currently held by the target... otherwise, it would only slow them down, not stop them completely.**

**Kenjutsu: C-?**

**Full extent of sword wielding ability unknown. However, her performance with a short sword-like weapons (kunai), using it to block a barrage of weapons, would place her skill at at least Chuunin Level.**

* * *

**Name: Hyuuga Hanabi**

**Sex: Female**

**Affiliation: Konoha**

**Official Rank: Civilian/Clan Heiress**

**Alignment: Lawful Selective**

**Basic Stats**

**Strength: ?**

**Agility: ?**

**Stamina: ?**

**Willpower: ?**

**Luck: ?**

**Chakra:?**

**Skills/Abilities/Jutsus**

**Gentle Fist Style: ?**

**A standard taijutsu/form of martial arts which is used by the Hyuuga clan. Full extent of mastery of said fighting style is still unknown. However, based on the result of her match, it could be assumed that her grasp of it is lower than that of her sister's.**

* * *

**Name: Hyuuga Hinata**

**Sex: Female**

**Affiliation: Konoha**

**Official Rank: Academy Student**

**Alignment: Chaotic Selective**

**Strength: ?**

**Agility: ?**

**Stamina: ?**

**Willpower: ?**

**Luck: ?**

**Chakra: ?**

**Skills/Abilities/Jutsus**

**Gentle Fist Style: ?**

**A standard taijutsu/form of martial arts which is used exclusively by the Hyuuga clan. Full extent of mastery of said fighting style is still unknown. However, based on the result of her match, as well as her spars, it could be assumed that her proficiency at it is quite high, managing to defeat even Neiji, who was originally thought to be the strongest Hyuuga of his generation until Hinata literally destroyed him.**

* * *

Okay, so these are the stats of some of the characters in the story so far (Yeah I know, there are still a lot of details missing). I will be posting a section like this from time to time on a whim, since I'm quite sure even without it, you will be able to follow their progress.

Again, these stats are bound to change, for better or for worse, depending on various factors. The willpower factor, of course, being the most unstable one, as it depends on the emotional status of a person, their reason for fighting, their determination, their desire to win and other psyche related factors. Willpower greatly influences a shinobi's stamina.

As for the battle between Shikamaru and Haruno Sakura, you could say that his willpower at the time was at rank B, which overrode his normally weak stamina and enabled him to last much longer than he normally would have. If the willpower factor is activated, ignore the stamina stats.

With regards to my grammatical and typographical errors... well, sorry about that, I'm only human after all. To be honest I actually post chapters the moment I finish them, and I do the editing once it's posted... kind of saves me a bit of time and effort... Still, if you see a typographical error which you feel is major, and may affect the flow of the story, feel free to mention your criticism in the reviews. It would be highly appreciated.

But enough about that...

Oh and by the way, I know this isn't really significant, but I'm going to alter the names of the chapters a bit, hoping it will sound a bit better.

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13: TOURNAMENT PART 2-3**

(Multi-person POV)

**At the bleachers**

"Now this is unexpected," commented a female voice, belonging to a red-eyed jounin named Yuuhi Kurenai, as she watched a certain blonde-haired boy struggling in vain to free himself from the trap that was set up by his opponent. "It seems like we have underestimated Inoichi's daughter."

It was indeed a most unexpected turn of events. For almost all of the entire match, it was obvious that the boy named Uzumaki Naruto had the upper hand, and was superior to his opponent in all physical aspects, speed, agility and stamina. Now, however, despite all his advantages, said aspiring shinobi was now in a fix, having fallen to a trap that was set up by his inferior female opponent... a turn of events which was surprising in the least.

Yes, it truly was unexpected. It was obvious who was stronger between the two fighters. And with the gap between their abilities, it was clear which one of them would triumph...

...or not...

Now however, the situation had been completely reversed, and the one who was supposedly weaker now had her superior opponent at her mercy, and was now doing hand seals to perform her jutsu...

Suddenly, gasps could be heard from the crowd, as the female aspiring kunoichi suddenly slumped to the ground. Many of them thought that the match was over. They seemed to think that the Yamanaka girl had fallen out of exhaustion, and that the fight was now in the bag for the Uzumaki.

However, the shinobi among the spectators, including Shikaku, Asuma and Kurenai, as well as the people who are aware of the Yamanaka's ability knew better.

"REFEREE!" shouted Uzumaki Naruto loudly, with an uncharacteristic smile on his face, raising his hand to get the attention of the examiner.

_Guess Shikamaru must have rubbed off on her,_ thought Asuma to himself, as he saw Genma approach the young Uzumaki... who the wind elemental jounin, as well as his two companions, knew was actually Ino, who had possessed his body using the Yamanaka clan signature technique, **Ninja Arts: Mind Transfer Jutsu.**

And as they continued to watch, the three jounins could already tell what would happen next. Still, for some reason, despite having already predicted the outcome, the heavy smoker, Asuma, could not help but feel a surge of fear nervousness for the Yamanaka's safety... for there was something nagging at him behind his mind.

Did they something? Was there something they overlooked? Asuma was not sure. But if it was the case then...

What was it? And why did it somehow bring him a feeling of dread and nervousness?

**With Ino**

"Is there something you would like to say, Uzumaki Naruto?" the referee, Genma inquired of the blonde-haired boy.

The young Uzumaki could not help but smirk inwardly, as he realized that his technique had been a success. For in truth, at the moment, Uzumaki Naruto was not Uzumaki Naruto... rather, he, or she, was currently, Yamanaka Ino.

It had not been an easy task for the young aspiring kunoichi, and in fact, everything that happened so far had been a gamble.

Yes, it was a shame, but she couldn't help but blame herself for the problem she was facing. She had, in all honesty, been slacking off, almost completely neglecting her shinobi training. And because of it, she had to suffer the consequences. Compared to everyone else who entered the tournament, she was probably the weakest when it comes to overall ability. However...

That did not mean that she was the dumbest. After all, she was a Yamanaka, and the daughter of Inoichi. Their techniques and special talent had always been centered around the mind... and therefore, she also had a high intellectual capacity, although she was not yet on the same level as Shikamaru.

Still, it had been enough, for her to be able to lure her opponent to a trap. Combining her true nature (which was being a loudmouth) with a bit of thinking, taking a leaf of the young Nara's book, she had been able to successfully turn the tables on an opponent who was more powerful than she was. It did not matter if her opponent was superior to her in abilities. What mattered was who won in the end. After all...

_I'm weak, not stupid,_ thought Ino to herself. The Yamanaka female, having successfully took possession of the Uzumaki's body, now opened his(her) mouth to speak... or more specifically, to make the blonde throw the fight.

"I FORFE..."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a voice calmly. "Yamanaka Ino."

"?!"

The female Yamanaka froze, in shock as he(she) found that kunai was an arm had wound its way around him(her) from behind, with a kunai directly pointed at his(her) throat…

And as he(she) turned around, his(her) shock increased even further as he(she) found himself(herself) looking straight into the eyes…

… of Uzumaki Naruto (?)…

But that would have been impossible. Unless…

"Heh," stated the Yamanaka in the blonde-haired boy's body with a smirk, feeling his(her) confidence returning. "Do you actually think you can threaten me? You're just a clone, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am," replied the other blonde, the now confirmed clone of the young Uzumaki. "However…"

At this, the clone edged his blade closer to the Yamanaka's neck, before speaking, as if he was reading his(her) mind.

"… you are mistaken in your assumption if you're thinking that the body you are possessing is my real one."

"Wa-what do you mean?" inquired the Yamanaka in Naruto's voice, a tone which as mixture of nervousness and confusion noticeable in it. _There's no way I could have…_

"I can't believe you haven't noticed," stated the clone of Naruto, sounding disappointed. "The body you are possessing right now is just a Shadow Clone."

"W-WHAT?!" stuttered Ino, who was beginning to panic. "Y-YOU'RE LYING! THERE'S NO WAY…"

"I'm not lying," stated the same voice. However, this it time, it did not belong to either one of the two blondes. Instead…

The blue eyes of the body the Yamanaka was possessing widened in horror, too shocked to speak, as he(she) saw that…

"So then, Yamanaka Ino…" stated a third identical blonde-haired boy with a smirk on his face, and who was standing a few meters away…

…with a kunai directly pointed at an unconscious blonde-haired female's throat…

"?!"

Yamanaka Ino's body…

"…do you surrender?"

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

A certain blonde-haired boy, who was making his way to his friend at the bleachers, could not help but sigh, as he heard the mutters and conversations of some of the spectators.

"Huh?"

"What?"

"I don't get it..."

"I think I underst... AAAARGH, my head hurts!"

Yes, the results of the match had been officially declared. Instead of cheers and applaud however, most of the audience merely stared into empty air, with blank looks on their faces. Even though Genma, the referee, had already explained to them in detail what had transpired, many still wore puzzled expressions.

Still, the young Uzumaki could not blame the crowd for their reaction. After all, the match ended up in a most baffling way.

_Flashback_

"_I FORFEIT!" shouted Uzumaki Naruto, acknowledging his defeat._

_The referee merely nodded in response, before announcing the winner of the fourth match._

"_Winner... UZUMAKI NARUTO!"_

_End of Flashback_

Yes, it was definitely confusing. The one who apparently gave up the fight was Uzumaki Naruto, but then, why did the referee announce that the winner is Uzumaki Naruto?

The answer was actually rather simple. Because the Uzumaki Naruto who conceded was actually Yamanaka Ino... well, her consciousness at least...

"Well that was boring," stated a certain bun-haired female named Tenten bluntly, as the young Uzumaki stood beside his two closest friends at the bleachers.

The Yamanaka, a clan which Ino, Naruto's opponent, belonged to, had the ability to possess and take control of another ninja by transferring their mind, or consciousness into them. With a little bit of tactic and strategy, said mind control jutsu user managed to place the young Uzumaki in a position in which he would be unable to dodge said technique, and was thus possessed.

Or so she thought...

For in reality, Ino's jutsu was not successful. For the body which she possessed was not really Naruto, no, the Naruto which the Yamanaka thought had been placed under her control... was actually a Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone). It was actually amazing how the girl actually failed to notice that the body that she possessed was fake... but then again his clones were solid, or perhaps she did not yet have much experience with her jutsu to detect the difference.

In truth, Naruto actually did not believe that Yamanaka Ino had any fight left in her. However, his gut feeling, as well as his experiences and training, taught him that it was always best to be cautious. And also, a shinobi, as his pink-haired best friend constantly reminded him until it was beaten into his head, should be able to see 'underneath the underneath.'

Thus, acting with every bit of caution, the blonde-haired boy, instead of personally approaching his exhausted opponent, decided to send in one of his Shadow Clones first. For as Sakura had told him, even those with the sharpest senses can make a mistake.

And it turned out, taking precautionary measures had indeed been the right decision.

After all, instinct can only do so much, for there are also those who are able to mask their true intentions well. It doesn't hurt to be too careful...

Still, even though it was the case. Even though he had won, the young Uzumaki still felt slightly disappointed and frustrated.

Disappointment... at the fact that the opponent he faced was not strong. Even though the Yamanaka did manage to make the blonde nervous with her clever tactics, the match with her was still nowhere as difficult compared to the young Uzumaki's normal training regime...

Frustrated, at the fact that even though his opponent did not have much strength, he would still have been in trouble he not be able to stop himself. For in truth, Naruto was an impulsive person. It was in his nature to charge in without thinking, and it had been a difficult habit to break, and in fact, the young Uzumaki was still not used to it. Had he allowed himself to adhere to his reflex... the technique would have made a direct hit... Still...

It was true that he had been disappointment and discontent with the match, even though he managed to win it. However...

"Well done, Naruto," stated Sakura in a monotonous tone.

In one moment, all of his frustrations had been washed away, for a certain pink-haired girl had just shown him, even for a moment...

... one of her rare smiles...

"KYAAAAAA!"

"?!"

The blonde Uzumaki nearly fell over, for he was caught off guard, by the sudden scream of several voices.

_What the hell?_ thought Naruto to himself, as he saw, by looking in the direction that the noise had come from, a group of people... about twenty young girls, all of whom were wearing mini skirts, as well as carrying fans.

"So we're finally going to see him in action," said a voice among the audience, its voice full of excitement.

"The last of his clan, huh?" mused another voice.

"I feel sorry for whoever had the misfortune of having to face him," stated another person in mock pity, and this time it belonged to a young boy.

"Come on, isn't it obvious?" added another voice with a scoff. "The dropout, win against a Uchiha? Like that'll ever happen."

Seething in rage at the snide comments, the young Uzumaki would have probably assaulted them and cause a riot, had it not been for two pairs of soft but strong hands that grabbed on to him, to stop him from doing so...

"Calm yourself," stated Sakura, who was keeping a firm grip on one of Naruto's arms, while Tenten did the same on the other one.

For on the large announcement screen, the names of the combatants for the fifth match had just been displayed...

And the two fighters who were to face off against each other, shown in large gold letters, were...

**KAJIYA TENTEN VS UCHIHA SASUKE**

**-BREAK-**

(Asuma POV)

It was now two o'clock in the afternoon. The people in the audience, who had started becoming bored and sleepy, had suddenly sprung back to life, the moment they found out who would be fighting in the next match. And now, the crowd was noisier than ever, as some bickered some argued, some gave their comments, all about the 'last Uchiha.' But none of their banters would be able to compare...

"SASUKE! SASUKE! SASUKE!" screamed several female voices.

... to the noise coming from a group of young girls, who were undoubtedly members of...

The fourth match, the fight between Uzumaki Naruto Inoichi's daughter, had ended. And while it was true that the young Uzumaki was indeed superior in every way (It was actually surprising in a way, especially the Shadow Clones which the blonde-haired boy had created, since they were solid clone.), the girl had somehow managed to redeem herself in the eyes of the three jounin. Even though she lost the match, she did prove that she at least had some qualities fitting of a shinobi... although she will probably have to train really hard to make up for all the years in which she had neglected to train. And for her to be able to pursue her career, she will probably have to get rid of one of her habits... of one her tendencies...

...her fan girl tendencies. For the Yamanaka girl, who minutes before was panting heavily, was now leading the group of girls who were cheering for a certain black-haired brat (Said girl, the moment she found out who was fighting in the next match, chose to cheer for the Uchiha rather than go to her friend Chouji's side, which Asuma and the other jounins did not like)...

"So the prick's got his own fan club, huh?" stated Asuma, as he saw the group of females who were mini skirts, cheering while dancing at the same time, using their fans which were designed to look similar to that of the Uchiha clan symbol. "Lucky guy..."

"Lucky?" scoffed Shikaku sarcastically. "When you had a fan club of your own during younger years, did you ever consider yourself as lucky?"

"No, I didn't," the wind elemental jounin admittedly grudgingly, shuddering slightly as at the memory.

Yes, it was true that Asuma did have a lot of girls going after him. Even if he had not been the Sandaime's son, he did have the looks. However...

While it was also true that many of the members of the opposite sex who wanted him for themselves were not that bad-looking (and in fact, a number of them were really quite charming), he was not interested in them. And sadly, the existence of said fanclub only caused him grief, due to the fact that...

"It must have been nice, having girls fawning over you," said a cold female voice, belonging to a genjutsu user jounin kunoichi who was currently staring at Asuma in the eye.

... said fanclub, as far as he was concerned, was the reason why all his attempts to woo the only girl he ever liked ended up in failure... though of course, he had not yet given up. Still...

"So who do you think will win the match?" inquired a voice suddenly, belonging to a guy wearing a bandana and sunglasses, named Ebisu.

Now was not the time to think about such things. The fifth match was about to begin... the fight everyone seemed to have been waiting for...

Soon the two fighters arrived at the center of the arena, and were now standing a few meters away from each other...

"Fifth match... Kajiya Tenten vs Uchiha Sasuke..."

"... BEGIN!"

**-BREAK-**

(Multi-person POV)

**At the bleachers**

Clang

Clang

Clang

Clang

Whoosh

Clang

Clang

Clang

It was the match that everyone had been waiting for. The match, in which the child prodigy, as well as the last surviving member of his clan (though some of the higher ranking people in the village knew that there were actually two), showed what he was capable of.

And show everyone he did. The kid, despite his age and attitude, was just as good as they say. The rumors were not just rumors. He could wield shinobi tools like kunai and shuriken with ease. His aim was also really good. Also, his speed was quite commendable, and the boy would actually turn into a blur of blue from time to time.

Indeed, the last member and technically the head of his clan, Uchiha Sasuke, was living up to his name. Even the shinobi among the spectators, were quite impressed with the skills he had shown, talent which was rare for people of his age. However...

The Uchiha was not the only one who was managing to prove his worth. For his opponent, Kajiya Tenten, was actually holding her ground against him. Metal clashed against metal, as the two fighters continued their battle, matching speed with speed, strength with strength.

Yes, it was surprising enough, to most people at least, that someone who was at the same age as the last Uchiha was actually able to keep up with the prodigious kid. While it was true that the Sasuke's accuracy at throwing kunai was extremely high, his opponent was just the same, their weapons clashing in midair in a magnificent display, while dodging the ones that did not end up colliding with each other. And when it came to close quarter combat, they were evenly matched as well, and neither was able to get through the other's defences, as sparks flew in the air as metal clashed against metal, kunai clashed against kunai.

However, what surprised most people the most...

"Who is that girl?" asked a girl in the audience, who, despite not being a shinobi, could not help but feel that the battle had been going for too long, having expected the Uchiha to destroy his opponent quickly.

The same could be said about the bun-haired girl's former teachers and classmates at the Ninja Academy (Classes had been suspended so that they will be able to watch the tournament, both as an education and recreational activity, as well as to support their classmates who were participating.)... except that they were much more shocked than any regular civilian.

"Hey... isn't that the deadlast?"

"No way..."

"It can't be..."

"Sasuke-kun is having a hard time with a dropout?"

"Impossible..."

Yes, the event that was unfolding before them was one which was hard to take in. It just couldn't be...

How could anyone... let alone a dropout and failure, manage to keep up with the strongest shinobi of his age... the last Uchiha at that? That was the question that was whirling inside the head of most of the Ninja Academy students who were watching.

The teachers, however, despite being much more composed about it, were also surprised. True, they knew deep down that Kajiya was not exactly a bad student, but as far as they could remember, while it was true that she was, in all honesty, in the upper tier of her class (She was only a deadlast because they were deliberately unfair to her and tampered with her grades), she was still not at the same level as the Uchiha.

_How did she become this strong?_ thought one of the Chuunin instructors, feeling slightly unnerved, as he continued to watch the fight between the two combatants...

Perhaps it was the influence the 'Demon Brat?' Perhaps it was something else entirely? They couldn't be sure. However, despite their different lines of thought, everyone in the audience agreed on one point. The girl, whose name was Kajiya Tenten...

... was not someone to be taken lightly...

**With Tenten**

Clang

Whoosh

Clang

Clang

It had been a while since her match had started, and things had, at the very least, not been going downhill for her...

At first, she had been nervous, knowing that she was about to go up against one of the strongest shinobi of their generation. The Uchiha, after all, had quite the reputation, for their clan, before they were slaughtered by one of their own, had produced many powerful shinobi. Their abilities, as well as their bloodline, was also well-known. However...

This was not the reason why Tenten had been worried. True, she had heard stories about the clan left and right, but the reason why she felt nervous was due to the fact that she had seen her current opponent's abilities first-hand, when she was still attending the Ninja Academy.

Disregarding both family name and reputation, Sasuke, as an individual, was truly talented. Of that, the bun-haired girl had no doubt of. She had seen how he performed, how he excelled in the different art of a shinobi, and he had proven that he was better than everybody else in his class. Even if the teachers did not blatantly show their favouritism in the Uchiha's favour, Tenten was sure that he would have still come out on top of his class, so long as the teachers did not discriminate against him and treated him fairly. And as far as the bun-haired girl knew, despite the fact that she herself was competent enough, there was a gap between their abilities, and she knew that if they fought one on one, she would definitely lose...

At least, that was how things were before...

"HYAAAAAH!"

With a loud battle cry, the bun-haired girl charged at her opponent, blocking and avoiding the weapons that were thrown in her direction, to engage the Uchiha in melee combat...

Clang

Clang

Clang

Whoosh

Clang

Clang

CHING!

"GAH!" shouted a male voice in agony, as the black-haired boy fell to the ground...

Poof!

Before turning into a rock...

Using the senses which she had sharpened during her training, Tenten checked her surroundings, and soon located the Uchiha, who...

"?!"

... had used the Body Switching Technique as a distraction so he can sneak up on her from behind...

Clang

...though it ended up being useless...

And as Tenten watched her opponent retreat from a failed backstab attempt, the bun-haired girl could not help but smirk inwardly, as she saw that there was blood coming from a cut on the Uchiha's face... she had managed to get past his defences...

'_I must admit you're good,'_ thought the girl to herself, as she took out a scroll that was hidden under her sleave. '_However... comparing your skills with Naruto or Sakura...'_

The bun-haired girl unsealed the scroll, revealing a thin, silvery weapon with a red hilt... a katana...

'_You can't even begin to compare!'_ thought Tenten fiercely, as she charged towards her opponent.

**With the Uchiha**

A certain raven-haired boy was cursing inwardly, barely managing to avoid getting stabbed by managing to switch himself with a log just in the nick of time.

It had been, as far as the last member of the Uchiha clan was concerned, one of the worst situations he had found himself in, and the only time which he could consider worse was when his family was massa... no, he didn't even want to think about it, at least not in the middle of a match, for it would make him lose his concentration...

Yes, it had not been easy, having to leave alone and as an orphan, having to carry the pain, guilt, and burden of being one of the last two living members of his clan... and since his brother was considered a criminal, he was rightfully the clan head...

However, such things were trivial to the boy whose name was Uchiha Sasuke. For there was only one thing in his mind: vengeance. He wanted to avenge the death of his clan, by killing the person who was responsible for murdering them, who is none other than his older brother, Itachi. And in order for him to accomplish his goal, Sasuke needed to become stronger... much, much stronger... strong enough to avenge his clan, strong enough to face his brother, who, having managed to slaughter his relatives, even the most powerful ones, all by himself, was definitely very powerful... And in the past three years, he had been giving everything he had to training and becoming stronger. And as time passed, he had managed to sufficiently get over the grief of losing his parents and move on. However, his hatred was only growing stronger as time passed by.

Still, even though this was the case, the raven-haired did still have the pride of an Uchiha...

Which was why he simply could not accept what was happening. He, although not as good as his brother, was considered a genius, and indeed he was, the best in the Ninja Academy at everything he did. And yet, even though this was the truth...

He was now finding himself backed into a corner by a no-name kunoichi. And to make matters worse, said no name kunoichi was the deadlast, a dropout, one who was too weak to have even gained the Uchiha's notice... or so he thought...

Yet here he was, being pushed back by that very person.

The situation he was in was unacceptable, and yet, he could nothing about it. For while his chakra reserves were still almost fully intact, he was starting to get exhausted physically. To make matters worse, his weapons had been nearly spent. The young Uchiha could not help but curse himself mentally for this. Having underestimated the competition, he neglected seriously preparing his arsenal of tools, and now he was regretting it. With only a handful of weapons left, he was definitely in trouble.

Loathe as he was to admit it, his opponent was faster than he was. True, it was just a slight difference, but it was enough... more than enough to limit his opinions. Due to her speed, he had been unable to use any of his ninjutsu, knowing that it would be probably a waste of chakra and energy. However, if he could not rely on said techniques, even though he did not want to accept the fact... he was going to lose... and that was something he could not allow. He needed to find a way...

_It seems like I have no choice then,_ muttered the Uchiha to himself as he crouched down to the ground to pick up something, not taking his eyes off his female opponent, who brought out a katana, before readying herself in a stance...

The raven-haired boy narrowed his cold black eyes, as he focused all his attention on his opponent.

_Wait for it..._ the boy mentally told himself, as the girl, with a yell, started charging towards him...

_NOW! _shouted the Uchiha to himself in his mind.

"AAAARGH!" screamed the girl in agony, taken completely by surprise.

For the the raven-haired boy, picking the correct timing, had thrown a fistful of dust at her face... a plan which succeeded, as the girl was had dropped her sword and was now rubbing her eyes...

Not wanting to waste the perfect opportunity, Uchiha Sasuke did not waste any time, forming the handseals for his jutsu...

**FIRE STYLE: GREAT FIREBALL TECHNIQUE**

A huge ball of fire erupted from the raven-haired boy's mouth, engulfing the area in front of him in flames...

**At the bleachers**

"TEN-CHAN!" shouted a blonde-haired boy, who went by the name Uzumaki Naruto, his blue eyes wide with horror, at what he had witnessed, fear and worry gripping him.

For his friend, Tenten, had been caught off guard by a dirty and underhanded trick that was pulled off by her opponent. And then, taking full advantage of the opening, the so-called noble Uchiha launched a fireball at the bun-haired girl, who had no time to defend herself.

Unable to stand it any longer, the blonde was just about to jump from the bleachers to help his friend, when he once again found himself stopped on his tracks by a hand, which was firmly gripping one of his arms.

"Restrain yourself," stated the pinkette, who was not letting go of him.

"BUT SAKURA-CHAN," the blonde roared in protest, but stopped, as he saw the expression on his pink-haired friend's face.

For the girl, despite her monotonous voice, was currently gritting her teeth, showing emotion on her face, which was a mixture of anger and worry.

"Look Naruto, I know how you're feeling right now," stated the pink-haired female, traces of her emotion now leaking ever so slightly in her voice. "However, this is Tenten's fight. She won't be happy if we interfered."

"But..." the young Uzumaki tried to argue once again, but the pinkette cut him off.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," stated Sakura firmly, her green eyes locking with Naruto's for a moment, before she turned her attention back to the arena, where the flames were slowly dissipating. "She'll definitely come through... believe in her..."

Upon hearing these words, the blonde-haired boy stopped resisting, and instead also focused his attention on the match. Already he can see a shadow standing amidst the flames, and when the fire finally disappeared... it revealed their bun-haired female friend, who was breathing heavily, and had a few burn marks all over her body... but was otherwise okay.

In truth, the young Uzumaki actually still wanted to jump in and interfere. However, if he did so, it could end in disqualification. Not that he cared if he was disqualified for interfering in a match, but if he did so Tenten will be forced to forfeit her match as well.

And also...

The look in her dark brown eyes... eyes which were filled with steely resolve...

The blonde-haired boy forced himself to relax, and settled for watching it instead. There was no way he would interfere when she was wearing such an expression on her face (heck she will probably hold a grudge against him if he did), so instead...

"COME ON TEN-CHAN! YOU CAN DO IT!"

He may not be able to help her directly, but he was still allowed to cheer for her, to give his friend support, from the sidelines, by cheering for her...

**With the Uchiha**

"Surrender," stated Uchiha Sasuke in an imperius tone, as he addressed his female opponent, who was covered in burn marks and breathing heavily after getting caught up in his fire ball. The bun-haired girl, however, merely scowled, as she continued to glare defiantly at the raven-haired boy.

Still, the last Uchiha could not help but feel impressed with her. For during the mere amount of time that was less than a second before his fire ball reached her, Uchiha Sasuke saw the girl create a Clone of herself, and it was the one which took the brunt of attack. Otherwise the flames would have seriously hurt the female, or worse, killed her. Not that the raven-haired boy cared, of course. After all, it was part and parcel of the tournament, the risk of death.

Realizing that the girl would not budge with her resolve, the last Uchiha decided to end the battle, and began to approach the girl to knock her out, although with caution. Even though the girl was in worse condition than he was, he was also feeling exhausted and fatigued, and it was best not to give his opponent time to recover. It was time to end things...

"?"

The last Uchiha was distracted momentarily, as he saw something on the ground, and picked it up.

It was a small pouch, with a piece of paper inside, on which the words 'Good Luck' was written. It was not some kind of weapon. Just a simple good luck charm, and the Uchiha found it to be useless. He was just about to drop it to the ground when...

"That's mine..." said a voice suddenly, belonging to the heavily breathing bun-haired female. "Give it back!"

It seemed like its owner saw as something of value... what luck...

"Oh?" inquired the Uchiha emotionlessly, though in truth he was actually smirking inwardly. _It seems like I found another weakpoint._

Uchiha Sasuke opened his mouth, and was about to use the item in his hands to blackmail the female aspiring kunoichi, intending to trade the good luck charm for her unconditional surrender when something memory flashed across his mind...

_His parents, covered in blood, his mother holding a good luck charm with Sasuke's name on it in her death... undoubtedly intending to give it to her son..._

_A bun-haired girl entering the Ninja Academy, walking happily beside her parents. Her mother giving her a smile and hug, giving her a small pouch as a good luck charm, before leaving... while he, the last Uchiha, had to do so, alone, an orphan..._

As these memories flashed across his mind, the raven-haired boy could not help but feel himself fill up with envy...

For the girl had what he had lost... the girl had what he truly desired... a wish, which deep down, he knew he desired much more than revenge...

...The girl still had her family...

... and he envied her for it... he hated her for it...

"So this is yours, isn't it?" stated Uchiha Sasuke in a mocking tone, his voice full of amusement, as he held the lucky charm in front of the girl's eyes...

...before tearing it apart with his kunai...

The last Uchiha could not help but smirk as he savoured the moment, watching with satisfaction, as he saw the girl's face contort in fury...

For there was nothing she could about it. As Uchiha Sasuke observed, the girl was barely standing, and no matter how angry she was, there was nothing she could do to harm h...

"?!"

"GUH!"

THUD!

The raven-haired boy did not even have time to react, as something hit him hard in the gut, which sent him flying, before falling on the arena floor with a loud thud, flat on his back...

_What was that?_ thought the Uchiha to himself, as he quickly brought himself back to his feet. Fortunately for him, he has a good sense of balance, and thus managed to refrain from taking damage from the impact. His stomach, however, was still in pain from the blow.

The arena had become eerily quiet, tension filling the air, except for a few gasps that was coming from the audience...

Suddenly, the Uchiha realized that his knees were shaking, as he felt a massive killing intent being directed towards him...

"?!"

Clang

Even with his swift reflexes and instinct, the last Uchiha barely managed to turn around in time to block a long sharp weapon with his kunai...

The raven-haired boy could not help but gasp in shock, at the sight that greeted him...

For the eyes of Kajiya Tenten, which were normally dark brown...

"i-impossible..." whispered Uchiha Sasuke, who was feeling unnerved at the sight. "You're a..."

"That was a gift from my mother you know," stated a cold female voice, belonging to the bun-haired girl, as she glared at the raven haired boy... her eyes now having a blood red color, with two tomoes on each one. "Once I'm through with you..."

The last Uchiha(?), the prodigy, the most talented aspiring shinobi of his age, was rooted to the spot, unable to move, as he stared at his opponent in shock and fear...

"...you're going to wish you were never born..."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Yeah, we had a break today so I managed to patch this chapter together. Hopefully you find it good enough.

And yeah, I decided to give Tenten a temporary family name since it doesn't feel right for her not have, so I gave her one which, if I am correct, has the same meaning as blacksmith. Once her family name is revealed in the Canon I will replace it.

Now, I've been reading through the Fate/Stay Night Fanfiction Archives and I found something really interesting... it was story wherein the main character of Fate/Extra was summoned by Rin in the Fate/Stay Night Universe. Not only that, he also had Archer's powers, not to mention the fact that Archer of Fate/Extra had also tagged along, although only as a part of the main character of Fate/Extra.

Because of this I have another great idea. While it is true that the Archer of Fate/Stay Night and of Fate/Extra are similar in nature, they are fundamentally different. Heroic Spirit Emiya of Fate/Stay Night had a contract with Alaya, and died in his Reality Marble, while Heroic Spirit Emiya of Fate/Extra, also known as the Hero of Wrought Iron, died from radiation during his last act of heroism. Also, his contract was with the Moon Cell, not Alaya.

So what if Archer of Fate/Extra was reborn as Emiya Shirou of Fate/Stay Night with all his memories and skills intact? What would happen if he encountered his other counterpart during the Fifth Holy Grail War? This is a challenge fic people, I hope there's someone who's up for it. Of course, if I have time I will be making my own. I actually already have a prologue for this but it's poorly made so I'm not posting it, especially since I have no intention of continuing it for now.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then people...


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14: PLOTS AND ASSUMPTIONS**

(Asuma POV)

It was seven o'clock in the evening. Outside of a room in the Hidden Leaf Village Hospital, three people, namely Sarutobi Asuma, Nara Shikaku, Yuuhi Kurenai, and Hyuuga Hiashi, were currently in conversation...

"So I take it that Hinata will be getting back her rights as the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan, Hiashi?" inquired Kurenai, with a well-concealed hint of hostility in her voice, as she stared at the Hyuuga clan head with a serious expression on his face.

"No, she won't," replied the white-eyed man calmly, which made the red-eyed female jounin raise her eyebrows.

Soon enough, the voice of the red-eyed female ninja, who was normally composed, began rising, and had it not been for Shikaku timely intervention, it could have resulted in one hell of a shouting session, if not worse.

Still, the heavy smoker was not surprised with her reaction. The red-eyed jounin kunoichi did care about a certain white-eyed female, after all, and she was only voicing things out in concern. Still, even though Asuma did like Kurenai, he still believed that what she was doing was wrong. After all, she was speaking in behalf of a certain person who had acted harshly and cruelly against her opponent. Still, even though that was to be expected in a fight, siding with Hinata, when she(Kurenai) was right outside of the door of her sister Hanabi, and although she was no in anger and would make a full recovery, she was bedridden and will take a while before she can leave the hospital because of her(Hinata) was definitely inappropriate.

And as he took his leave from his friends so that he could take smoke (since smoking was not allowed in the hospital), the man could not help but smirk, as his thoughts drifted to the matches which occurred that afternoon... amused at the ironic results...

For out of all the Ninja Academy students who participated in the tournament... the population of which was the overwhelming majority of competitors... the number who managed to make it through was almost nil. Only eight managed to make it through to the second round, and now, out of the seven who will compete in the final rounds... only one remained.

And it was proof... undeniable proof, that Asuma's old man, Hiruzen, had been right. The quality of shinobi education had undoubtedly been declining, and it has many negative implications...

"Asuma," said a voice suddenly, coming from a man with a wide and long blade, sheathed and strapped on his back.

"Oh it's you Gekko, been a while hasn't it?" said Asuma in a friendly tone as he recognized the man in front of him, as he stopped walking, throwing down his cigar, which he had already consumed, to the ground, before crushing it. "I was just about to head to for the nearest food stand. Would you care to join me for a drink?"

"No, thank you," replied the man, whose name was Gekko Hayate. "Perhaps it would be better if you asked Anko instead... I'm sure she'll be happy."

"Not a chance," muttered Asuma darkly, as a memory flashed across his head. There was this one time when by coincidence, he and the snake-using kunoichi ended up drinking alcohol from the same stand... things had been normal for a little while... before they went off the rocker. The heavy smoker could not help but shudder, as he remembered how he almost lost his innocence (which he still held to this day, reserving it for a certain someone, and if people made him out to be as traditional and old fashioned as Guy because of it, Asuma did not care) when said female jounin began stripping in front of him, and was thus forced to knock her out. (Thankfully Asuma still had presence of mind at the time, enough to bring the kunoichi back to her apartment where 'it' almost happened.). "Anyway, is there anything I can do for you? You're not one to talk unless you feel it's really important."

The sword expert jounin was silent for a moment, coughing, before talking in a business-like tone.

"I need to ask you a favor."

**-BREAK-**

(Danzo POV)

"...that will be all, you may now take your leave," stated a voice calmly, as he addressed his two subordinates, who bowed before vanishing in a puff of smoke. The moment they were gone, however, the old cripple (or so he made it look that made), the leader of the Root, Shimura Danzo, sat down on his chair, his facial expression, which had been neutral and peaceful just moments before, was now contorted, as the man put his hand on his chin, deep in thought.

It had been, as far as Danzo was concerned, one of the strangest days he had experienced in a long time. For once again, he found himself shocked and surprised at his former teammate, the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Yes, despite all his efforts to try and strengthen the Hidden Leaf Village, the old man, as Danzo saw, was still the peace loving-fool he had always been. Still, despite this fact, the man's recent actions, as far as he was concerned, proved that Sarutobi had not become as blind and as foolish with the recent more peaceful times and old age as Danzo originally thought, and while disliked the man's 'use brute force as a last resort' stand, he could not help, however, but approve of his other methods which he had been currently using...

And once again the head of Root could not help but be feel shocked at the recent turn of events. Indeed, there was more to his old rival and teammate than he had originally thought...

For Sarutobi Hiruzen, by whatever means, had been keeping cards in his hands, cards, which his Root organization, which was adept at espionage and gathering information, had not managed to discover until recently... and in fact, Danzo could not help but suspect that Sarutobi, through his indirect methods, had, for some reason, deliberately divulged said information through the tournament.

Uchiha Sasuke... the last member of his clan, a clan which was massacred and annihilated by one of their own, Uchiha Itachi, in cold blood, and only his little brother was the survivor. Most people had sympathized with the kid, especially since he was the last remaining member of that clan with kekkei genkai, believing that the only reason why he was spared was because his older brother wanted him to suffer.

However, the truth was, the Uchiha clan was a bunch of traitors, traitors, who had been plotting a coup de tat, to topple the current government, and take control of the Hidden Leaf Village. It was top secret, and only the highest ranking officials, including the Sandaime, knew about it. But from this perspective, it could be said that Itachi was not a traitor... no, in fact he was a hero, a true shinobi, who had sacrificed his name and reputation for the sake of his village. In fact, he was out there right now, an S-ranked criminal and missing nin, who was being hunted down by the shinobi of the very village he had protected with his actions, yet he did not seem to mind. The young man's only mistake, as far as Danzo was concerned, was the fact that he had left his brother alive. Had he not done so and eliminated every single one of them, he may not have had to leave the village, since stealth was one of Itachi's greatest strengths. No one would have ever known.

Still, even though he knew it was a mistake, Danzo knew that the village could still benefit from Uchiha Sasuke (though he would have preferred Itachi not becoming a fugitive, what was done was done). He could be manipulated, eventually molded, into a shinobi, a useful weapon, to the Hidden Leaf Village. The Uchiha after all, are the possessors of the Sharingan, a powerful doujutsu, and if Sasuke were to become loyal to Konoha, he would definitely be an asset. Since Itachi was branded a traitor, the village recognized him as the only person left of his prestigious clan... the last Uchiha...

Or not...

When Danzo had skimmed through the list of participants who managed to make through the second round to come up, he already who knew who most of them would be probably be. First of course, were the names of six participants, in two teams, who were actually part of his ANBU Root ops. With all the training and missions that they had been through under his command, it was hardly any surprise. In fact, they were already aware of the trick to the instructions of the first round, and the only reason why they entered the Forbidden Forest despite knowing that it was just a trick was because they were ordered to do surveillance. Naturally, when the second part of the tournament, the one on one matches, started, he ordered his followers, who were among the twenty aspiring shinobi who made it through, to leave the arena and forfeit their matches. Their mission was over after all, and there was no deed to observe from the shadows, since it was an open show of skill and ability (although exclusively for the people of Konoha only, as per orders of the Third Hokage.).

Then there was the team which included the Hyuuga heiress, Hanabi and, more specifically, her two companions, Yagami Akira and Yagami Yuki. While it was true that the Root, up to present, did not have that much information on their background even up to the present, they managed to gather enough to know that their mother was probably a former shinobi, or at least while trained in the art Danzo, after all, was always suspicious of newcomers to Konoha, and he had always done his best, while avoiding Hiruzen's detection, to spy on and keep tags on the visitors of the Hidden Leaf, every single one of them, and gave particular attention to those who wanted to settle. True, the ANBU of Sarutobi himself also conducts inspection, but Danzo, paranoid as he was, made doubly sure that they would do no harm to the village, and fortunately for them, the Hikos managed to pass off to Danzo as harmless, at least for the time being, and were no longer on the priority list of suspicions. He may be a heartless and ruthless man, but only when it was required, which was in defense of Konoha.

Still, the skill the two had shown was remarkable, and indeed, they would be great assets to the Hidden Leaf in the future. It was obvious that the family had come to see the Hidden Leaf as their home, and would likely help defend it should the need arrive. And with the combat abilities they had displayed, they would definitely make additions to the ranks of shinobi. In fact, had it not been for the fact that they might withdraw their loyalty to Konoha (as well as trying to hide from Hiruzen's detection), Danzo would have probably recruited the two sisters.

For Yuki, a girl with silver hair and a melee type blade user, despite the disadvantage she had against the insect user Aburame Shino managed to win against him during the sixth match.

But what was more surprising was the fact that her sister, Akira, managed to take down one of the Hyuuga prodigies, Hyuuga Neiji, without much effort, not to mention the style of fighting she used to do so during the seventh and final match.

And speaking of the Hyuuga, there was the clan princess, Hyuuga Hinata. Due to the fact that the Hyuugas had quite the ability to detect espionage and infiltration, the Root ANBU found it difficult to gather information on them, not to mention the problems it would cause if it was discovered that Danzo's organization had not been disbanded.

Which was why what happened during the second match had been shocking. For the Hinata, who was supposed to be weak, which was what caused her to lose her right as the clan heiress, had utterly defeated her supposedly more powerful younger sister in a one sided fight. Due to this turn of events, Danzo began to wonder if her being weak was really the reason... or if it was something else. For while it was true that the girl was undoubtedly powerful, and by the head of Root's standards, was still hiding her true abilities, and was probably even stronger than many of his Root ANBU who were at the same age, Hyuuga Hinata also had psychotic tendencies. True, she had been wearing a mask of smiling indifference, but as far as Danzo could tell, her emotions were generally unstable, and someone like that could prove to become someone problematic in the future. She has a lot potential, but her state of mind could make her a danger to her allies, although with a bit of setting straight it could still be remedied.

Yes, Danzo had been impressed. The tournament, undoubtedly, had been Sarutobi's discreet means of assessing the abilities of the young generation of future shinobi, as well as the amount of learning they receive from the institution, without getting complaints from the civilian council, who, had they known the Sandaime's true purpose, would have done everything to oppose him, and it had worked.

The results of the first round had been an eye opener, and it was probably the reason why some of Danzo's suggestions, including those regarding the Ninja Academy, which had been previously strongly opposed and disapproved by Hiruzen (probably from the pressure coming from the Civilian Council), had now been approved. Not all of them of course, but it was enough for the Hokage to prove to Danzo that he(Sarutobi) was still worthy to hold the hat and mantle of the Fire Shadow of Konoha. For aside from the notions of the secret Head of the Root Division, the Sandaime himself had pushed through some of his own ideas which Danzo actually agreed with.

However, that was not all of it... in fact, as far as Danzo was concerned, what he had found out might actually be just the tip of the iceberg...

Yes, the head of Root definitely found it peculiar... the tournament (which Danzo had been watching from the shadows)... some abrupt sudden changes in policy that will strengthen Konoha despite the civilian council's protests... but what got Danzo's attention the most...

... were two people...children, both of whom had done something to arouse the old warhawk's curiosity...

First off, was the blonde-haired boy, Uzumaki Naruto, an orphan, and also a potentially great asset to the village, for he was the junchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of the bijuu. Originally, Danzo wanted to be the one to care take of him (Shimura wanted to be a role model for the boy, less as a father figure, but more of a teacher who would mold him into the perfect weapon, all for the sake of Konoha). Naturally, Sarutobi, whose reasons were painfully obvious, and related to another S rank secret (Naruto's parents), refused. Instead, the boy had been put into an orphanage, and supposedly under the watchful eye of the Hokage's ANBU.

And this particular decision was the first rift between Danzo and Hiruzen ever since he resumed his post as the Hokage after the Yondaime's death. True, he knew that Hiruzen meant well, but while Danzo agreed that the secret of his birth (due to Minato's infamy) should be kept, he disagreed with sending him to the orphanage.

While it was true that Danzo planned on turning the boy into a well-refined weapon, it also meant that Naruto will also be well taken care of. After all, a swordsman always take good care of his sword, as if it were an extension of their body, or as a precious companion, and Naruto, being what he was, was no mere kunai that could merely be thrown away and disposed of, due to his usefulness. Heartless though Danzo may seem, it was not, in fact, the entire truth. It was simply because he was willing to cross the lines of so-called ethics and principles to protect the Hidden Leaf Village..

Instead, the boy was treated badly, bullied, beaten, tortured, by the people for simply being what he was, believing that he was the Demon Fox who attacked the village and had taken many lives. In all honesty, unlike Sarutobi's suspicions, Danzo did not have a hand in spreading the information to the villagers. In fact, the ones responsible for the spread of said information were eyewitnesses who had misunderstood what happened. For as far as Danzo remembered, before it was declared that openly talking about the Kyuubi would merit execution, some of the shinobi who had seen what happened (which did not include a single member of the ANBU Root Division, for while some did witness the spectacle, they had already been ordered to keep their mouths shut), misinterpreted the 'Sealing Technique' as a 'Transformation Technique,' and instead of knowing the truth, that the infant was the jail of the Demon Fox, they thought that he himself was the Kyuubi. And unfortunately, of all the rumors that spread, this was the one which was accepted by the majority.

And the beating and torture of the jinchuuriki was not something which Danzo liked, though not much out of concern for the boy(Although Danzo, who approved of and respected Minato much more than he did Hiruzen, secretly held some concern for the infant, although it was not his priority) than out of concern for the village, for it could be the cause of several problematic scenarios, which could range from the boy dying despite the orders against killing him (since Danzo knew many of those ordered to guard the boy hated him for what he was), to the Kyuubi being released due to the emotional stress on his **(Authors Notes: No one, except for Sakura at the moment, knows that the Kyuubi's name was Kurama, or that he was actually a she.)** vessel (though this was unlikely in Danzo's opinion, since he knew how talented Minato and Kushina were at sealing). Either way, the worst part would be that Konoha could lose its jinchuuriki, would lose its hold over the Kyuubi, the greatest of the bijuu, and thereby lose one of its major assets and advantage over the other villages in terms of power, and would therefore, in effect, make the Hidden Leaf Village more vulnerable.

And while it was true that the beating and torture would make the boy more malleable and vulnerable to even the smallest signs of caring and affection, Danzo could not take up that role, for he could not risk being in direct confrontation with Hiruzen, which, in his opinion, would only further weaken the village.

After all, while the man was a peace-loving fool, he was also a powerful shinobi, who was too strong (though Danzo hated to admit it) to be controlled and manipulated, even with the Mangekyou Sharingan which he had taken from Uchiha Shisui. He could not risk sending his own Root ANBU to spy on the boy all the time either (although they were still able to do so from time to time), for while most of the ANBU ops of the Hokage despised the boy they were guarding, all of them were still painfully loyal to Hiruzen, and would undoubtedly happily report to him such strange activity, and a confrontation between him and Danzo would be unproductive and non-beneficial to Konoha...

And this was probably why the Head of Root overlooked something important. The boy had been bullied, tortured and discriminated. And yet...

The young Uzumaki had shown a lot of potential as a shinobi, which should not have been possible. As far as the report of his Root ANBU was concerned, they had actually seen the boy running on walls, as well as the stone faces of the Hokage, when they (the Hokage's ANBU) had been chasing him all around town because of his pranks. And while he did not care about the boy's talent with cooking and tinkering with household items, Danzo did find his talent in talent in scrutinizing weaponry interesting and useful. But most of all, what really struck the old warhawk was the fact that according to one of the reports, the boy named Uzumaki Naruto...

...had managed to defeat a Hyuuga Main Branch Member, who was not only an ANBU ops but also a jounin, and the proficiency he has shown in kenjutsu (which Danzo saw from watching his Root ANBU's memories using Sharingan), was indeed at a very high level. For even if he had potential, Danzo doubted it would be possible for him to reach such a level of skill without any help in training of some sort (And based from what Danzo had seen in his subordinate's mind, it was unlikely for the Kyuubi to have been influencing him at the time.).

But what really got Danzo's attention the most was what happened during the fifth match, the fight between the last Uchiha and...

It was shocking, to say the least, a revelation which almost made Danzo gather all of his previous opinions and impressions about his old rival, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, before chucking them out of the window. Had he not been aware of the man's kindhearted nature and preference of peaceful means over force and violence, he probably would have done exactly that.

For even though the Sandaime was a pacifist, even though he disliked killing (although like all well experienced shinobi, he could so without blinking if the situation calls for it), even though he had given in to the whims of the masses which Danzo felt and knew would weaken the village...

"Hiruzen..." muttered Danzo to himself, as he once again stared out into nothingness, his thoughts wandering on many things, though mainly on the events that had transpired that afternoon, as he remembered the girl, whose eyes were...

"...what else are you hiding up your sleeve?"

**-BREAK-**

(Sarutobi POV)

The time was eleven o'clock in the evening. A certain old man who was also the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, and whose name was Sarutobi Hiruzen, was currently at the hospital, concealing his presence, stealthy taking a peek into one of the rooms, where a bun-haired girl was currently sleeping, while her two friends, a blonde-haired boy and a pink-haired girl were taking turns watching over her.

It was, as far as the Hokage was concerned, one of the most worrisome situations he had to face in a long time which involved internal matters. The past few years had been peaceful, and the man, who was known as the god of shinobi, had not been in battle in all that time, and, due to the enormous amount of work he had to do, (which of course, includes the Kami-be-damned paperwork), he barely managed to squeeze in enough time to do some training, although he did make sure that he did so at least an hour a day to keep himself sharp (though he doubted it was enough). Either way, with the exception of the previous day's surveillance of the trials in the Forest of Death (which could hardly count, since the obstacles and traps were all placed according to his instructions, and thus the Sandaime was pretty much familiar with them) he had not been in a real combat situation in a long time...

Which was why it had been difficult, extremely difficult for him... for he had barely managed to step in just in time to prevent a disaster...

It had been the most amazing of all the matches which had occurred that day. The entire audience was frozen, shocked into awe, as they bore witness to what would probably go down in Konoha's history either as 'The Fall of the Last Uchiha,' or 'The Rise of the True Uchiha,' depending on perspective.

The fight, which had been pretty much even at the beginning, had taken a turn for the worst for the bun-haired female. At the start of the match, the two combatants seemed to be on even footing, although as far as the Sandaime observed, the girl, Kajiya Tenten, had a slight advantage in speed, and was slowly turning into her favour. Then, without warning, the tables were turned, as the last Uchiha, Sasuke, in desperation, used a dirty trick, by blinding his opponent with dirt, literally. Then, taking full advantage of his opponent's distraction, the crafty Uchiha used ninjutsu, the handseals of which was recognized by Sarutobi (Despite the distance, he could see it clearly, not to mention the fact that the large screen, due to the fact that many video cameras were connected to it, had been showing the fight in different angles, giving a close up of it from time to time.), as the hand signs for the standard Uchiha Fire Jutsu, Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

Soon enough, a large ball of flames erupted from the Uchiha, and the girl, and many in the audience screamed, most of them thinking that the girl had been burnt to a crisp. Sarutobi, however, knew better, for he had seen the girl, despite still being unable to see, create a Solid Shadow Clone, which took the brunt of the flames. However, a significant amount still reached her, and had thus been injured.

As he continued to watch the fight, the Sandaime had been sure that it would soon be over. The Kajiya girl, as far as he could see, despite her willpower and determination, was on her last legs, and was barely able to remain standing. Her opponent, on the other hand, while exhausted, was still in far better condition. Instead...

Things had once again taken a different turn...

The Sandaime could not help but shudder slightly, as he recalled how things had changed drastically, the moment that the Uchiha acted like (even the Hokage could not help but describe his actions as such) a complete ass.

_Flashback_

_(Sarutobi POV)_

"_?!"_

_A raven-haired boy had been desperately trying to get away from his opponent. He probably knew he was at a terrible disadvantage... he knew what continuing the fight entails, but he still would not give up, and as far as Sarutobi guessed, it was probably due to pride._

_Probably wanting to buy himself time to organize his thoughts and formulate a plan, the last Uchiha(?) seemed to be trying to make some distance between him and his opponent._

_Clang_

_The raven-haired boy managed to block the katana with his kunai, and was preparing to jump backwards when..._

"_?!"_

_The girl suddenly vanished from view. Then, in the next instant..._

_Clang_

_Said girl appeared behind her opponent, and the Uchiha had barely managed to twist around to block the katana. Still, he was safe for the time being..._

"_GUH!"_

_Or not..._

_The girl, in one swift motion, shifted her position, before launching a roundhouse kick which connected with the boy's liver, sending him painfully flying backwards in an arc. Still, despite the pain, it was exactly what the last Uchiha(?) was probably hoping for. Seeing that the girl was once again charging towards him, he immediately formed handseals while still in midair to perform his..._

_**FIRE STYLE: GREAT FIREBALL TECHNIQUE**_

_For a fleeting moment, the raven-haired boy smirked triumphantly, as he saw that his female opponent was engulfed in flames..._

_Poof!_

"_?!"_

_Before she vanished in a puff of smoke... it was a clone. While the real one..._

_...appeared right above the Uchiha..._

"_GUH!"_

_... as she struck him in the spinal column with a painful elbow, sending the Uchiha hurtling downwards..._

_CRASH_

"_AAARGH!"_

_Painfully slamming the raven-haired boy into the ground below..._

_...while the girl, despite the height she was from, landed unharmed and with perfect balance..._

_The boy tried to stand up, coughing blood as he did so, but just as he managed to do so..._

"_AAARGH!"_

_He screamed in agony, as the girl punched him directly into his solar plexus. However, this time, around, he was not sent flying, for the bun-haired girl grabbed onto his shirt just as he was about to be pushed back by the force of the blow..._

"_So, then, Uchiha Sasuke," stated Kajiya Tenten in a calm, cold voice. She wasn't shouting, but her voice was loud enough for everyone in the arena to hear. And as if on cue, a dark cloud suddenly covered the sun, the glow of her blood red eyes with two tomoes becoming more visible as the surroundings became darker. "Is this really all you've got? The last of the mighty Uchiha clan?"_

_At these words, a smirk formed on the bun-haired girl's lips…_

"_pfff… what a joke…"_

_Despite his predicament. Despite being badly beaten, as he was held in midair by the hand on his collar, the last Uchiha could not help but tremble… not in fear, but in rage… undoubtedly at the insult that was being sent at him and his clan…_

"_YOU BI…!" shouted the Uchiha. Before he could finish his sentence, however…_

_CRACK_

_The girl shut him up with a painful uppercut, forcing his mouth to close, by hitting him squarely in the jaw from below his chin._

"_You are right, Sasuke-sama," stated Kajiya Tenten in a mockingly sweet and cheerful tone, her blood red eyes closing for a moment as she smiled, before opening them again. "I am a bitch… and now I'll show you... just how bitchy I can be…"_

_The spectators on the bleachers could only stare in shock and horror, at the one-sided fight which was a perfect example of violence and brutality, as the girl let her katana drop to the ground, before proceeding to mercilessly pummel her opponent…_

_Some, however, especially the ones who are knowledgeable enough about doujutsu (eye techniques), have other thoughts mixed in with their flurry of emotions, for the girl…_

"_No way…"_

"_Those are…"_

"…_Sharingan?!"_

"_Impossible…"_

"_So she's actually an…"_

"_It can't be! That demon fraternizer, an Uchiha?"_

"_What in Kami's name is going on here?!"_

_Yes, Sarutobi could not help but overhear the whispers of the shinobi who were within his earshot. Even his ANBU, who were standing by the Sandaime as his guard, were shifting uncomfortably despite their silence, as they continued watching the spectacle. _

"_So then, Uchiha Sasuke," stated the bun-haired girl in a mocking voice, as she stared at her opponent in the eyes, red eyes on black ones. "Do you surrender?"_

_Instead, of conceding, however, the last Uchiha(?), ragged, bloodied, and badly beaten, had remained defiant, his eyes narrowing… before spitting on the girl's face, which caused some people in the audience to gasp. Never had they expected such unseemly behaviour coming from the Uchiha elite._

"_I see… so is that your answer?" inquired the girl in a deadly quiet voice, as she calmly wiped the spit from her face with her hand, and while there was no change in her facial expression, the Sandaime, even from the distance, could feel the murderous intent that had began spiking from her."Very well... then I'll give you what you asked for..."_

_End of Flashback_

And it was at that point that Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, decided to step in and interfere with the match.

Thirty-six bone fractures. That was, according to the medic-nin's diagnosis, the amount of damage that was received by Uchiha Sasuke during their match. His arms, his legs, his collar bone... none of them had been spared... even all his ribs had been broken. He was also missing some of his teeth, caused by the relentless barrage of fists that made contact with his face...

And aside from that, the boy's vocal cord had also taken damage, which, according to the doctors, could end up making him lose his voice. Still, it was already a miracle in itself that despite the massive beating, the Uchiha did not have any damaged vital organs, although he won't be able to move for a while, for there was a risk that his broken ribs would be dislocated and punctured one of them...

However, the true problem was not his broken limbs. No, the main concern would be the head injury he received.

For as the doctors diagnosed his condition further, they noticed that there was a fracture on the boy's skull, undoubtedly from the bun-haired girl's back hand chop that made a direct hit with his head. He had suffered concussion and serious blood loss. It was already bad enough that it would take at least six months for his injuries to fully heal. He was already stable and his life was no longer in danger, but further diagnosis showed that it would take a longer time than that, if at all, before the boy woke up...

The Sandaime Hokage could not help but feel nervous as he recalled something else. Had he not managed to step in in time to stop her... no, what was important was that he did...

For the bun-haired girl had performed handseals... handseals, which Sarutobi was only too familiar with... and it made the Sandaime feel uneasy... very uneasy... wondering how she managed to learned such a jutsu.

True, he managed to stop her from completing it, but the hand signs which Kajiya Tenten used... was the exact same combination used by a certain white-haired jounin (and as far as Sarutobi knew he was the only person who could use it properly), to use a certain A-Rank lightning element assassination technique, which was well known for the sound of a thousand chirping birds that comes along with it... She was really planning to kill him...

"Hokage-sama," said a voice from behind Hiruzen, belonging to one of his ANBU ops, which brought him out of his reverie...

"What is it?" inquired the old man, as he took one last glance at the three people in the hospital, all of whom were now asleep, with the blonde-haired boy and the pink-haired girl snuggled together in their seats.

"There are people who wish to speak with you," replied the ANBU. "The two of them are waiting in your office."

"What, at this hour?" inquired the Sandaime in a calm, curious voice (although in reality he was screaming in the inside, cursing the fact that someone dared to disturb him at such an ungodly hour). "May I know who they are?"

"Tokubatsu Jounin, Gekko Hayate, and your son, Jounin, Sarutobi Asuma..."

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

A certain blonde haired boy suddenly burst into an empty room, closing the door shut behind him as he did so, as quietly as he could, just in time to avoid...

"KYAAAA!"

"WHICH WAY DID HE GO?"

"FIND HIM!"

...avoid a hoard of female menace that were coming after him... the hunt was on...

It was now ten o'clock in the morning. A certain blonde-haired boy, whose name was Uzumaki Naruto, was cursing inwardly at his misfortune, disguising himself as a potted plant to escape his pursuers, as he cautiously made his way back to the room where Sakura and Tenten were. He knew he had to be careful, for if they managed to catch him... he did not even want to think about it...

For some reason, ever since he had minimized his pranking spree (although his tendency was still there) and became the kind, friendly, helpful, neighbourhood handyman, there had been a number of girls, in the households he had visited, who had begun seeing him in a strange way, going red whenever he looked them straight in the face. At first he did not understand, but eventually, he realized what it was they wanted, partially at least... and it was something which he would never give to just anyone...

It was fortunate... rather fortunate, that they had been unable to organize themselves, otherwise, Naruto would have had to suffer the horrors of one of the worst possible organizations to come after him... a Naruto Fan Club.

Yes, and as far as he could remember, he had known only one person who shared the same cruel fate as he did... and that particular person was the one who he now recognized as Uchiha Sasuke. Originally, Naruto had felt pity for him, but after what happened the day before, with all the crap he did against one of the blonde-haired boy's closest companions, all of it was gone. Still...

While it was true that said potential fan club did not yet exist (and hopefully never will) in the outside world, there was one place where the girls were organized enough to at least do a bit of damage, and that particular place happens to be... the Hidden Leaf Village Hospital...

Naruto did not really have much complaint, the moment that Keiko, the head nurse, requested his presence in the hospital kitchens. After all, he had quite the talent for cooking, and he was glad to be able to help the patients and the people in the hospital in any way he can. Not only that, but doing so was also beneficial to his two best friends, one of whom, Tenten, who still needed to stay in the hospital for another two days to fully recover from the burns and injuries she received from her fight. Therefore, having been giving access to resources, the blonde spent his time preparing meals that were not only nutritious and friendly to those with weakened constitution... their taste was also satisfactory.

True, it was an improvement... a huge improvement, to how he had been treated before. While it was true that some members of the hospital still resented his presence, he was now in friendly terms with many of them, and this was also due to his sideline as a repairman, since he had done them a lot of favors in this aspect, both personal (their household stuff) and professional (items in the hospital, although there were some things he dared not touch yet, unless he was 100% sure he will be able to fix them correctly. After all life is a delicate thing). No longer was he shunned and hated, and in fact, many of the staff had already taken a liking to him.

What they enjoyed most of all, however, was the blonde's cooking.

However, while he did not really mind helping out, and actually enjoyed it...

"Ah, Sakura-san," said a voice, coming from a member of a group of five nurses in the hospital. "Have you... by any chance, seen Naruto? I believe this is the room he is staying in."

"No I haven't," replied the pinkette, to which the nurses began looking disappointed. "If I were to hazard a guess though, he is probably still in the kitchens." At these words the group immediately headed off in the direction of the location Sakura had suggested.

...he did not like the fact that the nurses had been fawning over him... especially their objective, which was...

... to force Naruto into a nurse outfit... and there was no way he would let that happen...

"You can turn back now, Naruto," stated the pink-haired girl, as she closed the door, this time locking it.

With a sigh of relief and a puff of smoke, the potted plant now turned back into its true form...

However, as he did so, another person sighed, although this one was in disappointment...

"What a waste," pouted Tenten, who was sitting up on her bed with bandages on both arms, sounding unhappy at a missed opportunity. "And I was really looking forward to seeing Naru-chan in a skirt too..."

As he heard these words, the young Uzumaki could not help but frown. Still, he also could not help but feel relieved, as he saw the pile of bowls that was stashed on the bun-haired girl's bedside table. She had not lost her appetite... and it was a good sign. Even though she was still injured, the pale color of her face the night before was gone...

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Who is it?" inquired the pink-haired girl as she approached the door cautiously.

'_Oh great, they're back,'_ thought Naruto to himself in a mixture of dread and annoyance, sure that the nurses had somehow realized that he was there. Instead...

It was familiar male voice which replied, belonging to...

"Ah, Naruto, Sakura," stated the man with white hair, who was dressed in red and white robes, carrying a hat in one hand while holding a pipe on another. "And you must be Tenten... I do hope you're feeling better."

"Jiijii? What are you doing here?" asked the blonde-haired boy, as he saw the familiar face of an old man, belonging to...

...Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Like I said before, battle scenes are not really my forte, so I hope you forgive me if you see them as roughly made.

And yeah, to answer some possible questions, portion of the history (or perhaps even the whole story) of why Ten-chan has the Sharingan will be explained in the next chapter, as well as other things...

Now some of you may ask, due to some parts in this story, if Naruto is still using the Sexy Jutsu... you know, the one in which he transforms into naked women... well, who knows... you'll find out later on...

Oh, and yeah, the reason why I did not write battle scenes for all the matches was due to the fact that they might hinder the progress of my story, well in my opinion at least. Still... if you want to see the results, although they are already shown in the story, here is the summary report, just to avoid confusion...

**1****st**** Match: Haruno Sakura vs. Nara Shikamaru**

**Winner: Haruno Sakura**

**2****nd**** Match: Hyuuga Hinata vs. Hyuuga Hanabi**

**Winner: Hyuuga Hinata**

**3****rd**** Match: Rock Lee vs. Akimichi Chouji**

**Winner: Rock Lee**

**4****th**** Match: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Yamanaka Ino**

**Winner: Uzumaki Naruto**

**5****th**** Match: Kajiya Tenten vs. Uchiha Sasuke**

**Winner: Kajiya Tenten**

**6****th**** Match: Yagami Yuki vs. Aburame Shino**

**Winner: Yagami Yuki**

**7****th**** Match: Yagami Akira vs. Hyuuga Neiji**

**Winner: Yagami Akira**

Now the last member of the Aburame-Lee-Inuzuka team, Kiba, had been incapacitated to a point that he could not fight. As for the other two teams that made it through... well, they were Danzo's men, and it would be too risky to let them continue for risk of being exposed...

And as for the match-ups for the next round, that will be revealed later...

But enough about that.

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later, then people...


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15: DIVIDED THEY FALL**

(Sarutobi POV)

"...this meeting is hereby adjourned," stated the Sandaime, to which the members of the Council started leaving the meeting room.

The moment that everyone had left, including his secretary, the Third Hokage could not help but sigh a sigh of relief.

It had been a few days since the end of the second round of the Jr. Shinobi Survival Challenge. And due to certain occurrences in said event, particularly one rather large revelation, Sarutobi knew everyone would want an explanation. Knowing that someone would force one to occur anyway, since said things were allowed by the law of Konoha, Sarutobi decided to head them off, by personally suggesting that an emergency meeting of the council take place, discussing that particular issue, thus succeeding in putting things in his own terms. After all, Council meetings were held at least once a week, and Sarutobi conveniently scheduled the emergency on the date before said regular meeting, which bought him the maximum amount of delay time he needed to prepare himself.

And the particular issue, of course, revolved around a certain ten-year old female aspiring kunoichi, who went by the name Kajiya Tenten... or at least that was her real name. For the moment the meeting started, many of the members of the Council acknowledged her, not as a member of the weapons clan, but as a member another clan.

Yes, what occurred in the fifth round of the tournament was indeed one of the most shocking revelations in the Hidden Leaf Village in a while... and said shocking revelation...

...was the fact that there aside from Sasuke and his traitorous brother, Itachi, there was another surviving member of the massacred noble clan of the Uchiha...

... and this particular piece of information had caused quite a lot of commotion among the council, both the shinobi and the civilian side... all of whom were naturally talking about the girl in a positive light of course, though it was obvious that each one of them had their own ideas on what to make of the current discovery...

The first issue of the meeting, of course, was giving proof that the girl was indeed truly an Uchiha... one which, of course was easily proven, thanks to a blood test that was conducted a few days prior... and thus removed any doubts as to her connection to said clan...

Though the first issue went well, however, the succeeding issues did not, for it caused a lot of argument amongst the members of the council itself, and thus the meeting room was in an uproar. Some members of the council, most of whom had seen the girl fight against Sasuke, the supposed-to-be last Uchiha, immediately demanded that the girl be officially made the clan heir and head of said clan, reasoning out that she had not only proven herself to be the stronger fighter, but also at the fact that she had an active Sharingan. Some, however, who favoured the male Uchiha greatly, as well as the fact that they hated the girl for her close friendship with a certain blonde-haired Demon Brat, immediately argued against it, although they used the 'a woman is not fit to lead a clan' gender discrimination as the main angle of the debate (which somehow earned them a killing intent from the head of the Hyuuga clan). In fact, one of them even stupidly (in the Sandaime's personal opinion) suggested that the girl's eyes be pried out of her and given to the 'True' Uchiha heir (although Sarutobi was sure that it probably had something to do with the fact that the girl beat up the male Uchiha and left him in a state that was even worse than the one Jiraiya was in when Tsunade beat her up for peeking at her). Not only that, but seeing as she had Uchiha blood, another one actually suggested that she should be turned into a 'breeding cow,' a suggestion which actually arouse the anger of many.

And thus the argument continued for hours, although it was simply going around in circles. The shinobi members of the council, who viewed things, despite whatever personal emotions they may have, from an impartial point of view, all agreed that the girl, based from her performance, should indeed be made into the official Uchiha heir. In fact, someone actually foolishly brought up the issue of how the girl was the a deadlast and dropout at the Ninja Academy, thinking that it would help their cause. Instead, it backfired, for it opened up another ongoing issue: the quality of education, as well as the prejudices in said institution.

Unhappy with what was happening, another council member opened the issue of the girl's parents, which, unfortunately, turned out to be valid. Having had connections with the Hospital, said person showed the records the proof that both weapons craftsmen did not have Uchiha blood. Not only that, but he also raised the point that the Kajiyas had not given the hospital a blood sample of their daughter, and the only reason there was one now was because her injuries compelled her to be admitted to said medical facility. And indeed, this was a valid point.

And it was at this point that Shimura Danzo took the floor and voiced out his opinion. Yes, the man may have had rivalry and principle issues with Sarutobi, but this time around, he turned out to be an ally. Instead of supporting the claim, he rebuked it, by showing documents (which of course somehow irritated Sarutobi, though he was not surprised that the man had copies of said documents just when they were needed. True, it was not illegal for someone of Danzo's position to procure them, but to think that he too had said documents prepared beforehand...), of missions, and of the Kajiyas' actions, which was irrefutable proof of their loyalty to the Hidden Leaf Village.

And thus, the man in bandages continued his speech. According to him, the hospital does not require blood samples as compulsory, except for those who are at age thirteen or above, or those who have become shinobi of the village, which meant that said issue was irrelevant. And when he spoke of loyalty issues, Sarutobi knew that the man was referring to the truth behind the Uchiha clan massacre: that said clan was actually to overthrow and take over Konoha.

And speaking of Uchiha Sasuke, due to the current condition he was in, some members of the council suggested that someone should go look for the medic Senju Tsunade (although due to the fact the she did not want to go back to Konoha, that would be extremely difficult), for according to the doctors, the possibility of the boy, based from his injuries and further diagnosis, of making a full recovery was nil, and while it was true that no one argued with this point, there were people among the council who believed that the boy should not be allowed to become a shinobi, and surprisingly enough, even Danzo, for whatever scheme he was watching, seemed to think that way, as he kept his mouth shut when the argument on said issue was taking place.

Eventually, however, the meeting had come to an end, and thus were the decisions made. First, it was decided that Jiraiya the Sannin, who himself was currently(mostly) out of town because of his 'research' as well as his spy network activities, would be ordered to track down and bring Tsunade back to Konoha (of course Sarutobi already expects that his old student will not come out of it unscathed, and only hoped he succeeds, as well as remained alive.). As for the issue related to the succession and the Uchiha clan inheritance, it would be put on hold until the girl's (Kajiya Tenten's) parents had returned from their mission.

Yes, Sarutobi thought that it was for the best to wait for them. After all, this particular issue was best discussed once they were back, and it would be in the girl's best interest.

It was a great issue, and was bound to cause the Sandaime more stress, and yet, part of him could not help but be glad, at what he had found out during the Council meeting.

It was true that Hiruzen owed a lot to the Minato, the Yondaime, for his actions had led to the man's son to be despised and outcast by the village, yet there was nothing he could to stop it, and the old god of shinobi was truly sorry... Still...

_Flashback_

"_... that girl may be an Uchiha, but she is fraternizing with the 'Demon Brat,'" spat a member of the Council, who was just 'sharing' his opinion. "Which is why I suggest..."_

_At these words, the Hokage let loose a killing intent, as he coldly stared the man in the eye, which made said person freeze under the glare. Uzumaki Naruto's jinchuuriki status, after all, was an S-Class secret, and talking about it..._

"_Yes, indeed, the young Kajiya... or Uchiha as you call her, is indeed a friend of the young kitsune," stated another member of the council, who was also a civilian. His voice, however, did not contain any contempt, but rather, it contained amusement, as if the issue was irrelevant. "What about it?"_

"_THERE!" shouted another voice with triumphant glee. "Hokage-sama! He just spoke of an S-Class secret!"_

_Before anyone could say anything else, however, the old civilian continued, chuckling a bit before he did so._

"_Oh did I now?" mused the man. "I only said that the boy was a fox. After all, he does enjoy playing pranks and jokes on people. I never said anything about him being a 'demon' now did I?"_

_End of Flashback_

The old Hokage could not help but be glad, as he realized that it was no longer entirely the case. While it was true that there were still people who hated the blonde, and in turn his friends, there were already a great many who support him. And this was the reason why those who oppose the young Uzumaki have lost a lot of power. For before, the civilians, and in effect the civilian members of the council, were unanimously against him. Now, however, they were divided, between those who think of the blonde-haired boy as the 'Demon Fox,' and those who believed who to be a kind and helpful but playful 'kitsune.'

And speaking of Uzumaki Naruto and his friends.

_I wonder how they are doing right now?_ thought Hiruzen to himself, as he lit up his pipe and began to smoke.

For a few days before, the old Hokage visited the hospital where the blonde and his pink-haired friend were staying to keep their bun-haired female friend company. And while it was true that he had not yet discussed with them the 'Uchiha' issue, he did inform them of another plan which he had in mind... an idea, which in reality, actually came from the young Uzumaki's companion, Haruno Sakura...

**-BREAK-**

(Sakura POV)

Clang

Whoosh

Whoosh

Clang

Whoosh

Clang

Clang

In one of the training grounds of the Hidden Leaf Village, three people were currently engaging themselves in a battle... a serious one two on one fight involving the different art of a ninja, although they were not aiming to kill... they were simply training...

"?!"

Suddenly, two of the people in the training grounds, a tag team comprised of a blonde-haired boy and a bun-haired girl, vanished. To most people, it would seem as if they appeared into thin air.

The pink-haired female, the one-man(or girl) team however, was not fooled. Using her enhanced senses, she was easily able to pick out where they were. One of them, the blonde-haired boy, was currently behind her, hiding underground. The other one, however, the bun-haired girl, had not moved, and was actually standing in front of her, although she was covering herself with an illusion. Both of them, however, were cautiously making their way towards the pinkette in an attempt to ambush her and catch her off guard.

"?!"

In an instant, the blonde haired boy's hands suddenly rose from the ground, attempting to bury the girl into it...

Unfortunately for him, the pinkette had quick reflexes and thus managed to get out of the way just in time...

"?!"

Only to find herself still buried into the ground, with only her head sticking out of it, while her two friends were looking at her with smug look on their faces...

Or not...

_Genjutsu,_ thought the pinkette calmly to herself, as she dispelled the illusion.

Clang

Whoosh

Clang

Clang

CHING

WHACK

WHAM

"Gah!"

"Aaargh!"

In less than a minute, the fight was over, and the pink-haired female was standing in the middle of the training ground, while her two friends bit the dust, having fallen headfirst into the dusty ground, both of whom receiving a nasty whack on the head with her training weapon.

"I must admit," stated Sakura, as she stared down at her two friends, who were now in a sitting position, rubbing their heads at the spot where the long weapon struck. "That was an interesting method of offense. Using a genjutsu to lower your opponent's defences then striking when your opponent is at her weakest..."

It has been a week since the second round of the Shinobi Survival Challenge ended. Not wanting to waste any time, Sakura, Naruto, and Tenten, the moment that the bun-haired girl had recovered from her injuries, had resumed their training. Naturally, due to the fact that they did not spend much time engaging in shinobi-arts enhancing activities for days, they compensated for it by working thrice as hard as usual. Not that they neglected their physical training of course, which can be done almost anywhere (with Naruto having the least problem in the area, managing to do so in his desperation to get away from the hospital nurses).

Still, a certain bun-haired female, who went by name Tenten, could not help but find her rather quick recovery somewhat... strange. For according to the doctors, it would take at least three weeks for her to completely recover, yet in a matter of three days, her injuries had almost completely healed. Sakura could not help but notice that she(Tenten) had been eyeing them suspiciously from time to time, although not in a bad, but rather, in a grateful way. Of course, if the bun-haired girl did ask, Sakura would tell her the truth (since in fact, the pinkette was indeed the one responsible for her quickened recovery). However, as she did not delve on the issue too much, the pink-haired girl thought it best not to say anything. She would only do so once she deemed it necessary, or if she pressed on said subject. For now, Sakura decided to focus on helping her friends train.

And speaking of their training, things had indeed been going rather well, and the group had managed to increase their strength in the various aspects of the shinobi arts. With a bit of time management, as well as the will to learn, all three of them had somehow managed to become stronger and improve on their skills. It was not really much of a surprise. After all, if there was one trait that Sakura, Tenten, and Naruto shared, it was their stubbornness, their willpower, their refusal to give up on anything... Still, despite the fact that they were making considerable progress...

"Yo..." said a voice suddenly, in a cheerful greeting tone.

The three young aspiring shinobi, who were presently taking their lunch, turned around to see who it was... or who they were...

... a muscle bound shinobi, who Sakura knew was a heavy smoker and preferred trench knives as his primary weapon...

...a guy with a considerably large blade strapped to his back...

... a red-eyed female jounin who was known for being a master of illusions...

'_So they're finally here,'_ thought the pinkette to herself, as she, Tenten and Naruto got up and formally greeted the new arrivals.

Yes, despite the fact that they had been improving, Sakura also knew that their training was still insufficient, which was why...

...the pink-haired girl, taking advantage of the shinobi system... decided to file, with the Sandaime's permission, a mission... a mission which Sakura would pay for personally... and the objective of said mission is to...

"Training a bunch of kids huh," mused the man with a cigar in his mouth, who, despite the smile on his face, was looking at them with calculating eyes, and the same could be said about the red-eyed female. "Well this should be interesting..."

**-BREAK-**

(Shin POV)

It was getting dark, the sun, which has all but set into the horizon, giving off a faint but dying ember of light, a red-orange glow, reflected by the clouds in the sky.

"Alright, we're camping here for the night," stated a male voice, belonging to a shinobi, wearing a white mask. He was a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, an ANBU to be precise. Immediately, all the other members of the team set off to their respective responsibilities in setting up camp.

Soon enough everything has been prepared, and after a quick meal, four out of five of the members of the team set off to sleep, while one stayed up to keep watch in case of an enemy attack, unlikely though it may be. After all, they were just two days away from their destination: their home, Konoha...

The one who was currently assigned to do guard duty, however, was finding it hard to focus on his task, however, for he was currently deep in thought, his mind wandering to the events which happened eight years prior.

Unlike the present evening, that night was a stormy night, the sky was dark, for the moon and stars were covered with clouds, which was illuminated from time to time with a flash of lightning. Still, despite the depressing air, a man and a woman, husband and wife, were currently humming to themselves cheerfully, owing to the fact that the sales for their weapons on that day were quite high. After all, the Chunin Exams, at the time, were currently hosted by Konoha, and many of the participants from the various hidden shinobi villages needed to replenish their stocks, and thus resulted in good business for the weapons craftsman and his wife (though technically, they were both weapons craftsmen).

Yes, things were indeed looking up for them, especially since the Kajiya had, due to the fact that they excel, not only in making weapons, but utilizing them in battle as well, had been recognized as an official shinobi clan of the Hidden Leaf Village. True, as of the moment there were of them, but their unique ability to create weaponry which is above standard and above that which is forged by other blacksmiths was of great help. Also, as a sign of their loyalty, the Kajiya weapons shop only ever sold and used in business standard shinobi weapons, whereas reserving showing and selling their best designs and weaponry exclusive to Leaf Shinobi.

Yes, and it was a great feeling, for after all their time as travelling merchant-shinobi (since they were quite adept with knowledge on ninja arts), they had finally found a place which accepted them, a place which they could call home. No longer do they have to watch their backs on a nightly basis, or at least, the mortality risk was reduced. They had finally managed to find a place to establish themselves, where they would be able to permanently settle and start a family...

That is, if only it were that simple.

Despite the positive stroke of fortune they managed to have, that was the one thing which the couple, who were in their early twenties at the time, knew they could never have. The man, after all, was impotent, and no matter how much they tried, no matter how many times they did 'it,' they had been unable to form a new life through the natural process. It was the one true setback of their happy, although not completely peaceful lives (They were shinobi, after all, and like all ninjas, from time to time, they had to set out on missions for the Hidden Leaf Village.).

And then, on that stormy, gloomy night, their wish was granted, in the form of an infant who ended up in their arms, and who they thus raised, with all the loving care they could give her... she was their daughter, in all but blood...

"Shin," said a voice, coming from beside the man who was currently in the shift of his guarding duty.

"What is it?" the man replied to the woman. It was his wife. Tomoko.

"Are you alright?" inquired the woman, as she stared at her husband straight in the eyes. "You look rather pale..."

"It's nothing," replied the man quickly in an assuring voice, giving his wife a kiss on the forehead. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all. My shift's going to end in half an hour. I'll be fine once I get some sleep. You should get some rest as well."

The woman, however, let go of her shinobi expression which was devoid of emotions, and it was replaced by one which was both anxious and serious...

"Shin, I'm worried," whispered Tomoko to her husband, as she leaned on his shoulder, the expression on her face was that of a worried parent, an expression, which the man knew, was undoubtedly the same one which he was wearing...

For something has happened. For the Sandaime to send half a dozen ANBU to recall them from their business trip and escort them back to Konoha was proof enough. And whatever it was, they had no doubt that it had something to do with their daughter.

The ANBU, like the loyal ninjas of the Hokage that they were, told the couple that the information was classified, and that said details will be given to them by the Sandaime himself. However, loyal though they were, during their travel, Shin and Tomoko could not help but overhear parts of their discreet conversations...

_... so the Sasuke kid is not the only one?..._

_...could she be?..._

_...did you see her eyes?..._

_... the Sharingan..._

_...the blood test confirmed it..._

_...she did beat Sasuke..._

_... another Uchiha..._

Yes, there was no doubt about it. Based from what they had overheard (while pretending to be asleep), it seemed as if something big had happened at the tournament which their daughter had participated in, and whatever it was, it was enough for the Hokage to order their return to Konoha. And what they had heard from the ANBUs' chitchat was enough to give them a view of the picture... and the implications were worrisome.

From the look in his wife's eyes, the two of them definitely shared the same sentiment...

"?!"

Suddenly, the Kajiya couple felt a sense of uneasiness. It was just for a brief moment, but they could not be mistaken. They had felt a hostile presence, although it disappeared instantly... but it was close... they were close...dangerously close... and were undoubtedly waiting for the perfect chance to strike.

Not wanting to alert the enemy that they had been detected, Shin nodded once at his wife, who went back to her sleeping back to gain some rest... or so it would look to the enemy. In truth, she was actually giving all of the resting shinobi a signal which cannot be detected by opposition, who were alerted instantly, but continued pretending to be asleep.

Yes, the Kajiya couple were worried, extremely worried about their daughter. For now, however, they decided to put their thoughts about it to the back of their minds. After all, what good would they be to their daughter if they winded up dead because of thinking too much about it. For now, they must first focus on the task at hand, although they could not shake off the feeling that their current predicament was somehow related to that particular revelation.

The man called Shin, who was sitting on a log, slumped a bit, pretending to be asleep, to fool the enemy into thinking that they were at their most vulnerable...

'_Don't worry, my daughter,'_ thought the male Kajiya to himself, as he discreetly prepared his katana, thinking of the many problems and obstacles they have to face once they get back to Konoha (although of course, they have to get back alive first).

The last thought that registered in his mind (and he knew wife was thinking the exact same thing) was that he would do everything in his power to protect his daughter...

...before a storm of kunai and shuriken rained down upon them...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. I must admit it was not easy writing this chapter, what with all the work that was piling up on me, but I somehow managed to squeeze some time for it, thankfully enough...

Now, to answer some of your reviews. Yes, it may be a mistake on my part, the part about the Sage of the Six Paths able to use Creation of All Things. However, while it may be true that creating something out of nothing may be the full extent of said ability, take note that when he did use said technique to create the bijuu, he was actually using the energy from juubi. Yeah, it's confusing even to me, but then again, it may be possible that the Sage did have said ability, but Kurama never saw him using it... hehehe lame excuse, but until I've gathered enough information, I'll be sticking to it...

As to the canonical Team 7... well, while it's true that they will be having the Wave Mission, it will be different, and yeah, the Kakashi-Naruto-Sakura-Sasuke Team will not exist in this fic. As to how they ended up in the Wave mission, you'll find out later, so don't worry...

I'm ignoring Naruto's/Shirou's ability with the bow? No, not really, it's just that I'm trying not to rush things with my story, but don't worry we'll get there eventually.

And as for Shirou, regaining his old memories... well, you'll find out later... hmmm... hmmm... although if you read some of the previous chapters... well... you could already guess the answer to that...

Yeah, and while I actually am trying taking it slow and easy, I actually find the temptation to rush things difficult, as there is a particular part in this story that I am already itching to write (wrote down a summary of it though just to make sure I don't forget the idea)...

Oh, and yeah, here's an update on the shinobi stats... though I apologize if it's still incomplete...

* * *

**SHINOBI STATS**

* * *

**Name: Yamanaka Ino**

**Sex: Female**

**Affiliation: Konoha**

**Official Rank: Academy Student**

**Alignment: Lawful Selective**

**Basic Stats**

**Strength: E-**

**Agility: E-**

**Stamina: E**

**Willpower: E**

**Luck: ?**

**Chakra: D**

**Skills/Abilities/Jutsus**

**Kawarimi (Body Switching Technique)**

**Has the ability to switch herself with an inanimate object to fool the enemy. **

**Ninja Arts: Mind Transfer Jutsu**

**A Technique which is the signature move of all members of the Yamanaka clan, which allows them to possess, take control of an enemy ninja. However, there are several conditions needed for said jutsu to be successfull, one of which is that the target was immobile. For if the jutsu misses its aim, then the user will be rendered helpless for a while. Also, another setback of this technique is that whatever happens to the person possessed (example injuries) will also be received by the main body. As for what happens when a Shadow Clone possessed by said technique is harmed... well, it had not been verified...**

* * *

**Name: Uzumaki Naruto**

**Sex: Male**

**Affiliation: Konoha**

**Official Rank: Civilian**

**Alignment: Lawful Selective**

**Basic Stats**

**Strength: ?**

**Agility: ?**

**Stamina: ?**

**Willpower: ?**

**Luck: ?**

**Chakra: ?**

**Skills/Abilities/Jutsus**

**Kawarimi (Body Switching Technique)**

**Has the ability to switch himself with an inanimate object to fool the enemy. **

**Shadow Clone Technique**

**The ability to create a copy of himself to confuse the enemy. In his case, however, said copy can also be used for offense due to it being solid. Also, shadow clones, as an exact replica of their owner, can also think for themselves.**

**Kenjutsu**

**Full extent of ability in said field unknown.**

* * *

**Name: Uchiha Sasuke**

**Sex: Male**

**Affiliation: Konoha**

**Official Rank: Clan Heir/Academy Student**

**Alignment: Chaotic Neutral**

**Basic Stats**

**Strength: D**

**Agility: D**

**Stamina: D**

**Willpower: B**

**Luck: ?**

**Chakra: C**

**Skills/Abilities/Jutsus**

**Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique**

**A standard Uchiha clan technique which is the first ninjutsu that is taught to every member of said clan. It creates a large fireball which can be launched at the enemy or can be sent out in a continuous flow.**

* * *

**Name: Kajiya Tenten**

**Sex: Female**

**Affiliation: Konoha**

**Official Rank: Civilian**

**Alignment: Lawful Selective**

**Basic Stats**

**Strength: D+**

**Agility: C**

**Stamina: D**

**Willpower: B+**

**Luck: ?**

**Chakra: ?**

**Skills/Abilities/Jutsus**

**Sharingan (Copy Wheel Eye)**

**A powerful doujutsu (eye technique) which can be used for various purposes, which basically includes copying enemy's techniques, as well as giving them the ability to predict their opponent's movements.**

**Shadow Clone Technique**

**The ability to create a copy of himself to confuse the enemy. In his case, however, said copy can also be used for offense due to it being solid. Also, shadow clones, as an exact replica of their owner, can also think for themselves.**

**Kenjutsu**

**Full extent of ability in said field unknown.**

**Genjutsu**

**Is able to cast illusions to confuse the opposition. Strength of illusions is still unknown, however the fact that it was broken easily by Haruno Sakura proves that it still needs a lot of work.**

* * *

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16: FIRST IMPRESSIONS**

(Sarutobi POV)

It was nine o'clock in the morning. An old man, who despite the kindly and solemn look he had, was actually the Hokage, the head of the Hidden Leaf Village, was currently in his office, once again burying himself in the worst trouble any leader of a shinobi had to face… paperwork. However, this time around, it was not really that much of a problem anymore. Having enormous reserves of chakra, it was actually quite easy for him to create several Shadow Clones, which he used to assist him in taking care of his job. With the aid of temporarily created individuals that think, act and make decisions like himself, not only was Sarutobi able to slowly decrease the amount of papers on his desk by the increased ratio of outgoing(handled) to incoming(to be handled) papers, he was also able to make wiser decisions, and thus the tiny little loopholes that certain unscrupulous individual tried to add into the documents no longer left his notice. Some papers even, as Sarutobi realized, had to be read by their fine print, otherwise it created small yet unfair advantages for some people, especially financial ones. And no matter how small, once they pile up… well, they were not really such small issues anymore. Not only that, but with the aid of his Kage Bunshins, he was also now able to review past documents, laws and decisions, thereby amending and rectifying some things while reversing others. Yes, it was actually quite nice, to be able to completely do his job properly for once…

The only setback was that once the Shadow Clone dispels, all its memories, as well as its headaches and thinking fatigue memory, go back to original… and with several of them… it was still quite the source of stress. Still, the great difference was that this time the Hokage was fulfilling his responsibility, not simply looking at it hopelessly, piling up in front of him…

And now he (the real Sarutobi) was currently skimming through one of the recent reports, a compiled report on an ongoing C-Rank mission that the Hokage had given to two jounin and one tokabatsu jounin, namely his son, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai and Hayate Gekko…

…and was surprised and amused with what he read…

'_They're quite a handful, aren't they?' _chuckled the Sandaime to himself, as he looked at the last sentence of the mission report which read out…

_**We hereby request...no...DEMAND that the mission be RECLASSIFIED as a B-RANK, as well as an INCREASE IN THE PAYMENT for this particular mission.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Sarutobi Asuma**_

_**Mission Team Leader**_

**-BREAK-**

(Kurenai, Asuma, Hayate POV)

It was the eve of the first day of their three week long C-Rank mission: to help train a group of young aspiring shinobi in the ways of the ninja. Presently, the three jounin who took up the mission, namely Yuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma, and Hayate Gekko, were currently having a drink at a stand which sells alcoholic beverages.

Knowing how boring such jobs turn out to be, as they had seen first hand with Ebisu, who was training Asuma's nephew, Konohamaru, a certain red-eyed genjutsu mistress never would have taken the mission, had it not been for the fact that an old friend, who rarely makes any requests, asked it of her as a favour. She knew it would be dull and a waste of time, but for friendship's sake she still took it...

Or so it looked on the surface. In truth, the red-eyed jounin who went by the name Yuhi Kurenai actually had other reasons, which involved the well being of a certain blue-haired, white-eyed female, for accepting the mission...

_Flashback_

"_My name is Kajiya Tenten, age 10, my hobbies are training and making weapons," began a bun haired girl, who had an ecstatic look on her face. "I like... well... my friends and family... as well as swords, spears, kunai, shuriken katana... I hate a certain arrogant bastard who thinks he's all that when he's not...My goal is to become as strong and as good a shinobi as my idol, Senju Tsunade, and perhaps someday even surpass her..."_

"_Name's Uzumaki Naruto," said a blonde-haired boy who was trying to sound formal, but the enthusiasm in his voice was a dead giveaway. "My hobbies are training, cooking, fixing stuff, playing pranks mainly on people who try to hurt me or my friends... I like...(and at this the blonde-haired boy turned red)... never mind..." "My goal," and at this the boy's tone did indeed become serious. "... is to protect my friends and the people I care about the most... and if possible, to save as many people as I can for as long as I live."_

"_My name is Haruno Sakura," said a pink-haired girl in a monotonous tone. "I don't have any particular likes aside from my friends and loved ones, nor do I have any preferred hobbies unless you count eating and recharging my energy although there are plenty of things I dislike, and traitors and those who betray their friends are on top of that list. I don't really have a goal of my own. Although if it comes right down to it... my goal would be for my friends to be able to achieve theirs as well as keep everyone I love safe... that would be enough for me..."_

_End of Flashback_

Yes, the three youngsters were, as far as Kurenai was concerned, indeed an interesting bunch. An idolater, an idealist, and an enigma... and there was definitely more to them than meets the eye. Overall, however, the three of them seemed to be good-hearted by nature, and despite their individual differences, they had formed a strong bond of friendship with each other. As far as the red-eyed jounin could tell, it would be difficult, and in fact, almost impossible to break them apart...

Which was why the result of the group's first trial was not really that surprising. And speaking of said test...

_Flashback_

"_Bell test?" inquired two voices together, belonging to the bun-haired girl and the blonde-haired boy._

"_That's right," said the tall man with a smile, as he showed them the bells he was holding in his hand. "Your task will be to take these bells away from me. Try and use every means to do so. There will be no consequences even if you use lethal force and somehow manage to kill me in the process. If you succeed, then we will train you. If you don't, not only will we not help you, you will also be forced to forfeit from the tournament... and you will no longer be allowed to become shinobi, no matter how much you want to in the future."_

"_And seeing as there are only two bells," said a pink-haired girl, who was glaring at the wind elemental jounin. "even if we do succeed taking the bells from you, only two of us will pass, and one of us will be left behind and will have to face the consequences, am I correct?"_

"_That is correct," nodded Asuma, whose smirk widened, as he saw the stunned looked on the bun-haired girl's and the blonde-haired boy's faces, while the pinkette tried to keep a passive expression, although the slight twitching of her eyebrows was a dead giveaway..._

_To his surprise, however, the pink-haired suddenly smiled..._

"_Then I guess there won't be a problem," she stated with resolve, glancing at her two friends for a moment, who wore surprised looks on their faces, before turning back to face the jounin. "As I've told you before, my goal is to help my friends in whatever challenges and endeavours they have to face or attempt. If sacrificing my chance at becoming a ninja is required for them to succeed, then so be it."_

_At these words, an eerie silence fell on the training grounds, as the girl named Kajiya Tenten and the boy named Uzumaki Naruto looked at their pink-haired, Haruno Sakura, with an unreadable expression on their face, while the three jounins looked at them, awaiting their next response..._

"_Sakura-chan," began the blonde-haired boy in a quiet voice._

"_Are you sure about this?" asked the bun-haired female._

_The pink-haired girl merely nodded, with a sad smile on her face, yet her eyes showed that there was no changing her mind._

"_I see..." stated Tenten in a quiet voice. "In that case then... then I'm also quitting."_

"_Same here," added the blonde-haired boy, without a trace of hesitation. "If we can't pass together then I'm also backing out."_

"_You guys..." began Sakura, with a surprising trace emotion in her voice, but the jounin cut her off._

"_Let me remind you," began Asuma, addressing the three. "If you back out now, then all of you will be considered to have failed... and none of you will be allowed to join the ranks of shinobi for the rest of your lives. Are you fine with that?"_

_Upon saying these words, the wind elemental chakra blade user thought that the three would feel the weight of things, and would thus think things over..._

"_You know, I think you should..." began Sakura, addressing her friends, but then she found herself cut off..._

"_Of course were fine with it, dattebayo!" stated the blonde-haired boy, who was standing firm by his decision._

"_Much as I would like to achieve my dream, but if it means that Sakura-chan will have to end up failing for us to do so then I must decline," added Tenten with smile on her face. "I would prefer to fail than leave my friends behind, especially one who was outright willing to sacrifice herself for our sakes, right Naruto?" _

_A moment of silent passed, as a gentle breeze suddenly passed through the training grounds._

"_Are you sure about this?" asked the pinkette finally, addressing her friends, in a serious tone._

_Without hesitation, her two companions, who were now wearing the same determined expressions on their faces as the pink-haired girl when she decided to back out for their sakes, merely nodded._

"_There's really no changing your minds now, is there?" sighed the pinkette, as she saw the firm resolve that her companions have. "Fine, then..."_

"_Alright, that's enough," stated Asuma, interrupting the girl, as he raised his hands into the air in surrender. "Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Kajiya Tenten... you pass..."_

_End of Flashback_

For in truth, the main purpose of the test, which, under normal circumstances, was used as a genin examination, was simple: it was meant to test their teamwork. Normally, as was the case with many of the teams that had gone through the same trial, they failed for the very reason that they thought in a very self-centered fashion: they cared about no one but themselves. A jounin, after all was much more powerful than any genin or at least, possible genin. Therefore, the presence of only two bells was meant to test their teamwork and a bit of loyalty, a way to check if they were mature enough to work with others. However...

The test which was given to the three ten year olds that were assigned to them as a mission, was, in a sense, much worse. True, the principles were the same, but unlike the simple threat of simply having to go back to the Ninja Academy for another year, the three were told that they would forever be shut out from the ninja career if they fail. And yet...

They did not seem to mind at all. And it was proof... solid proof... of how strong were the bonds that hold the three together. Without even consciously knowing the true nature of the trial, they have, in the three jounins' opinion, passed it with flying colours. Still, while it was true that they had indeed passed the 'value' part of the test...

According to Asuma, they still have to pass the practical portion: in other words, the group still had to take the bells away from him...

A decision which the former member of the Twelve Guardians greatly regretted...

Asuma, being a jounin, as well as having had plenty of battle experiences, both as a shinobi of Konoha, and as a member of Fire Country's Twelve Guardian. Therefore, he was also used to fighting many enemies all at the same time. Genin... chunin... jounin... hell, he had even fought against kage level ninjas and survived the encounter. And yet, despite this fact...

He was defeated.

He had underestimated them. He had judged the three according to their size and appearance, which turned out to be a grave mistake...

Even though he had experienced it first-hand, the jounin could still not believe it. The teamwork between Uzumaki, Haruno and Kajiya was undoubtedly excellent, and it was enough to force the former member of the Twelve Guardians to take them seriously. Their attack, despite the fact that they still made plenty of mistakes, was so well coordinated that if they really aimed to kill him (despite the fact that they were told to attack with the intent kill, the group was simply aiming to snatch the bells away from Asuma), he would actually be in real danger, and there was a 50-50 percent chance that he would not survive. True, they may not be a match for him individually, but together... well... the three would definitely make one hell of a terrifying team on the battlefield.

And in fact, the strategy they used against the jounin had been quite effective...

The girl, Haruno Sakura, took up the front line, and engaged Asuma, using a broadsword, in melee combat... At the same time, her two teammates, Uzumaki Naruto and Kajiya Tenten acted as support. The bun-haired girl was using genjutsu, and although it was still not that strong and quite easy to dispel, it was enough to give the jounin a lot of trouble, since he had to keep his focus on ensuring that his senses were not compromised by the illusion while at the same time giving enough attention to the melee combat he was engaged in.

However, what really irked and irritated the Sandaime's son was the fact that while all this was going on, kunai and shuriken would fly at him from the trees (which Asuma knew for sure was the blonde-haired kid), and to make matters worse... they were sent at him with pinpoint accuracy and prediction. One who is good at close-range combat... one who cast illusions and causes distractions... one who had a sharp eye and was adept at aiming projectiles from the distance...

The jounin was not even given a chance to compose himself, and was unable to escape, nor was he able to counterattack. True, had it been one on one he would have definitely wiped the floor with them, but by working together, he was forced in the defensive, as they did not give him any time to breath. Because of this, he was forced to heavily rely on his melee combat abilities, as there was no time for him to cast a ninjutsu and was therefore unable to utilize escape techniques(like Shadow Clones and Body Switching) that would have allowed him some breathing space, and thus allow him to come up with a plan...

Yes, he had definitely underestimated them. Had he not let his pride get in the way, and pulled all restraints, as well as taken them seriously from the beginning, they would never have had the chance to successfully organize such an effective offense. They may be good, but the member of the Twelve Guardians had seen better... if only he did not take them for granted, he would not be in this mess...

And it had been too late for him. He was already caught, and thus they succeeded in taking the bells away from him... and the moment they did, was probably one of the worst experiences the former member of the Twelve Guardians had in his entire life... For the final technique that three conniving aspiring shinobi used on him was the infamous, feared, and dreaded...

_**HIDDEN LEAF VILLAGE ULTIMATE TAIJUTSU ARTS: THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!**_

"Just be glad the she used the sheath of her sword and not the sword itself when she used that jutsu on you," stated Kurenai, as she looked at his smoke loving companion with pity and amusement, for said person was currently clutching his lower backside, recalling a painful memory. "You should not have underestimated them."

Yes, the jounin had indeed underestimated his opponents, and he paid the price for his arrogance... finding himself on the receiving end of one of the worst jutsus in the history of the Elemental Nation... and in the presence of the woman she likes, who had seen him in all his humiliating glory. Still, at least now Asuma was sure that the mission given to them was not a waste of time like he and Kurenai had originally...

"And they were still holding back," muttered another voice, belonging to Hayate Gekko, as he sipped another cup of sake, more to himself than to his companions.

"Holding back?" inquired Asuma in his usual calm and cheery voice, but he was unable to hide the look of shock (and perhaps a bit of outrage and incredulity) that appeared on his face. "What do you mean they were holding back? Are you trying to tell me that they were not taking that fight seriously?" To his side, the red-eyed jounin kunoichi, who normally wears a mask of indifference, also had a noticeable change in expression.

At this, the cap-wearing tokabatsu jounin merely shrugged his shoulders.

Yes, they already knew that the three had not shown all their abilities during the tournament. While it was true that they did show a lot potential, Asuma was sure that they were keeping their trump cards, refraining from using them so that their next opponents will not have any idea what they can do. It was perhaps, the reason why the Kajiya girl, Tenten, had began using genjutsu, as out of the three, she was the one who was forced/ended up showing her aces. Having revealed the fact that she had the Sharingan (as well as her considerable taijutsu skills), it was only natural that the rest of the competitors will try and find a way to counter her. In fact, as of the moment, the bun-haired girl is actually considered the biggest threat in said tournament, and is actually the favourite of many, who were sure that she would likely be the one to come out on top...

...but for them to be pulling their punches when faced by much a stronger opponent... a jounin, and a former member of the Twelve Guardians with a large bounty on his head at that...

...it was actually hard for them(Asuma and Kurenai) to believe. However...

"I'm not really sure about Kajiya and Uzumaki," began Hayate, as he brought the bottle of sake on his cup, only to frown at the fact that it was empty, before signalling the stand owner to give her. "But Sakura was definitely not giving it her all, of that I am sure."

"You've got to be kidding me...no, there's no way th.." began the heavy smoking jounin, but his friend raised a hand, telling them to hear him out first.

"You know me, Asuma" bagan Hayate in a serious tone. "I would never joke about something like this. And if my estimates were correct, Sakura had not even showed you half of her true abilities yet... and that would be in kenjutsu alone... even I am not sure what else she's hiding..."

A moment of silence passed between the three adults, before one of them decided to speak...

"Sakura..." mused Kurenai, as if in a daze, before turning sharply towards the sword-using jounin, curiosity in her expression. "You addressed her by her first name. Are the two of you acqu...?"

"Yes, I know her," Gekko cut her off, with an unusual smirk on his face. "After all... she was the one who gave me this." The man was pointing to something on his right cheek... a scar...

"What?!" cried a woman's voice.

The man named Hayate Gekko could not help but smile a bit. And from the corner of his eye, he noticed that Asuma was trying his best to hide his amused expression (although it was obvious that he too, was interested). After all, rarely has the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha lost her composure.

Seeing that they probably would not let this off, the kenjutsu using jounin decided to tell his companions about it...

It had been three years since that time. Gekko Hayate, a member of the ANBU at the time, as well as someone who had not yet moved on from the death of his parents and younger sister by the Kyuubi's claws (and they were his only family), was infuriated when he learned that he was assigned a task related to the very being who he believed was the cause of their demise: to protect and guard a boy named Uzumaki Naruto. And while it was true that he no longer held any grudge against the boy at present, having heard the truth from the Sandaime as well as seen things for himself (He had actually heard it the first time it was announced, but due to his grief and rage, Gekko had misinterpreted the Hokage's words, thus believing that the boy was the Kyuubi incarnate), that had not been the case then...

_Flashback_

_A blonde-haired boy was currently sleeping, resting under the shades of a tree in a secluded portion of the Hidden Leaf Village in the training grounds. However, it was not really that much of a surprise. After all the harsh training which he had voluntarily subjected with, it was only to be expected..._

_Exhausted, and deep in his slumber, the boy did not notice that someone wearing a white mask... someone who was releasing a murderous aura... was approaching him... stopping his advance when he was about a meter from the sleeping blonde, with an unsheathed blade in his hand, pointing it in the boy's direction..._

_For one fleeting moment, the man, whose name was Hayate Gekko, had actually thought of seriously hurting the boy. After all, he was the 'Demon Brat,' the 'Kyuubi,' the one who destroyed Konoha, the one who slaughtered the man's family. And yet..._

_He did not know why, but the man's instinct was telling him that he was making a mistake... that the boy in front of him was not the one responsible for the death of his loved-ones. True, he never really had any intention to follow through with his desire to kill him (although he did intend to maim the boy or at least cause him pain), as it was the Hokage's order, but now that he had seen him up close... connecting him with the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was just impossible. In fact, the boy actually looked much more like the hero who se..._

"_Get away from Naruto," growled a female voice._

"_?!"_

_Clang_

_The man who was a member of the ANBU ops barely had time to react, having been caught off guard, barely managing to parry the blow from a sword that was swung at him before jumping out of range. Judging by its aim, the wielder was probably aiming to cut off his head. However, while he did manage to avoid the killing blow, the wielder had still managed to wound him, slicing through the right side of his face, cutting through the ANBU mask he was wearing..._

_And the one who confronted him..._

_...was a pink-haired girl, who, judging from her size, was probably around seven or eight years old..._

_And the man could not help but feel his eyes widen from his mask..._

"_I don't care who you are," began the girl, her green eyes narrowed dangerously, as she readied herself, sword held in both hands, in a fighting stance. "I don't care if you are a loyal shinobi of this village or not, even if you are ANBU... even if you are close to the Hokage. Try and hurt my friend..."_

"_...and I will not hesitate to cut you down..."_

_End of Flashback_

"Is that really what happened?" asked the red-eyed female jounin quietly, still finding it hard to believe, as she stared at the man who had just finished telling his story, who nodded in response.

Yes, it was not exactly a pleasant first meeting. Just as Gekko eyed the boy with contempt, so did the girl face him with unhidden hostility. Had it not been for the fact that another ANBU arrived with a message from the Sandaime (who had apparently seen everything and was removing Hayate from guard duty), things would have probably gotten much worse.

Still, despite their disastrous first encounter, the two sword users eventually ended up in good terms, probably due to the fact that they had similar interests in kenjutsu, and from time to time, the two of them would engage in sparring matches (athough Gekko could not help but feel that the girl probably still held a grudge against him, although not without good reason)...

Which was why the wind elemental jounin in the group could not help but feel worried upon hearing his kenjutsu user friend's tale.

Yes, it was true that he was higher than him, not only in rank, but also in overall skill, and in fact, if it comes to a serious fight, he was sure that he would be able to beat Hayate every single time. However, if it comes to sword fighting...

That was a different matter entirely.

Asuma, a jounin of the Hidden Leaf Village, as well as a former member of the Twelve Guardians, was undoubtedly a skilled shinobi. He was capable at all aspects of a shinobi (although he had to admit that his genjutsu skills were lacking and was only at genin level). However, what he was truly known for was his skill in melee combat. For Asuma's weapon of choice was a pair of trench knives, and with them the jounin was able to produce devastating results, mauling through enemy ranks, as well as able to face multiple opponents at the same time. This of course, was helped a long by the fact that he had good control of chakra, and thus, by infusing his wind elemental chakra with his blades, which were actually chakra blades, he is able to easily cut through his enemies' weapons...

However, if he and Hayate were to fight with pure blade wielding only... without his wind element advantage... Asuma knew that he would not stand a chance. His friend, after all, was not promoted to the tokabatsu jounin for nothing, and the heavy smoker was aware of their difference in skill when it comes to this aspect... Gekko was his better when it comes to kenjutsu, whose skill with it was probably even on par with the legendary Seven Swords... In fact, he doubted if there was someone in Konoha who would be able to match the man in pure swordsmanship...

"... right now, her kenjutsu is probably at the same level as mine, perhaps a bit lower since she lacks experience," Gekko was saying, with a bit of pride in his voice, closing his eyes as he did so. "While it is true that I have been helping her train, I actually had to step up my own training just to make sure I am able to maintain my edge..."

And for that particular person(Gekko) to say that the girl he(Asuma) had just clashed with was his(Gekko's) almost equal, and that she had been holding back when they did so...

"Excuse me?" inquired another voice.

The three jounins turned around to see who it was... it was the owner of the food stand, who was apparently about to close his store. Realizing that it was getting late, the three paid for their meal, before leaving...

And as the three jounin parted ways, in the direction of their own homes, each one of them was buried in their own thoughts... for the next day, they would begin training the trio...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

"... so do you follow?" inquired a certain trench-knife using jounin, who went by the name Asuma Sarutobi, to which Sakura, Naruto and Tenten nodded in response.

It was now nine o'clock in the morning, the day when the three of them were supposed to begin their 'real training,' and the young Uzumaki could not help but feel ecstatic.

True, they may have succeeded in the trial that was given to them the day before (the memory of which made the blonde-haired boy laugh inwardly), but that was only because Sakura had formulated a well thought-up plan for them. Naruto knew how much his best friend cared for them, which is why he would not allow her to keep carrying most of the burden to herself. No... he will definitely become stronger and more reliable... and this was the perfect opportunity for him to progress and make some improvements...

According to their sensei, Asuma, they were going to have a four-week crash course, during which the three of them, namely Sarutobi himself and his two companions, would be teaching in the shinobi arts. And in order to save time, they have decided that they would take turns in teaching them, one on one, switching students and teachers per week, and then on the last week, all three crash course students will be trained at the same time by all three of their jounin senseis...

"Now," stated the heavy smoker . "For the first week, the pairings will be as follows."

The man cleared his throat before he continued.

"Naruto, you will be training with Hayate-sensei."

"YEAH! DATTEBAYO!" shouted Naruto happily. In truth, he did not really care who would teach who first. For as far as he can tell, all of them were strong...

"Tenten, you will be training with Kurenai-sensei. Sakura... you're with me..."

The two girls nodded, and were about to move closer to their respective jounin instructors when...

"Wait a minute Asuma..." stated a female voice, belonging to the red-eyed jounin kunoichi, Kurenai Yuuhi. "I would like to suggest something..."

"What is it Kurenai-sensei?" inquired the muscular man, looking curiously at his college, to which the female teacher replied in a monotonous voice.

"For the first week of their training, I believe it would be best for you to be the one to handle Tenten... and while you're at it, I will instead be teaching..."

The female jounin's head moved slightly to the side, her pair of red eyes now locked with a pair of green ones...

"...Haruno Sakura..."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Man, I'm beat. This week is pretty damn difficult and the heat's really searing. We did not have any power(electricity) for eight hours straight, and without it, the airconditioner will not function, and without the airconditioner... we are at the mercy of the sun. Fortunately enough, the boss of our office decided to treat us to a nice meal for all our hard work... and it actually turned out to be two, lunch and dinner. Naturally, there is a generator at the restaurant we went two, not to mention Karaoke, so yeah, we managed to cool off. Instead of singing, however, I used the opportunity to finish this chapter. Hehehe.

Now, I suppose I won't be saying much here since my mind's actually really numb from all the noise (no offense to my colleagues but their singing is horrible) and thinking combined... but enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then people...


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17: AS THE PETALS FALL**

"_?!"_

_It was nighttime. He was moving swiftly yet stealthily through trees and thickets. Still, despite the time, it did not really affect his vision, and the light coming from the full moon was enough to allow him to move through the forest with ease._

_Suddenly, he stopped, finding himself at the edge of a small community... or what used to be one at least. For the place has been compromised... if the number of houses that were destroyed was any indication. Still, what was most disturbing about the place, was the fact that..._

_...the scent of blood, death, and decay, filled the air..._

_Suddenly, groans can be heard from the surroundings, as the people of the community began moving out of the rubble...well, used to be people of the community..._

_For they were no longer human... they were dead, or undead... nothing but mere tools to the one who killed them, sucked them dry of blood, before turning them into loyal familiars, creatures of the night, that only function to kill and feed on the blood of the living... they were now nothing but mindless monsters..._

_Not wanting to be found, he quickly lowered his presence, making sure that none of the creatures detected him. And then, when he was at a safe distance, he materialized his bow out of thin air..._

_Taking careful aim, he notched an arrow onto it, before firing it towards the center of the clear..._

_Immediately, all of the mindless bloodsuckers went towards the direction where it landed... for the arrow which he fired was no ordinary arrow, for attached to it was something special... and that something..._

_... were body parts in a sack, which opened the moment the arrow landed, two arms and a head to be precise, which belonged to a man... a criminal to be precise, an evil person, who was responsible for the death of many innocents... a man who he, just a few hours ago, had tracked down and slain, and whose body he had chopped into bits, before putting the pieces into a special container, which was designed to let nothing out, not even the scent of blood... at least in his death, the man would redeem himself by being useful..._

_...as bait..._

_Seeing the mass of monsters that were fighting and clawing away at each other for the boon, he knew that his plan was successful. However, he also knew he had to act quickly, for the mob would soon disperse once it was consumed, and thus, in a whisper, he chanted a few words..._

"_**I am the bone of my sword..."**_

_In an instant, a sword, the blade of which was shaped like a drill of corkscrew, appeared in his hand, which he immediately filled with energy, thus manipulating its shape until it was thin and straight, the weapon glowing with the power he had imbued upon it,_

_Then, he fitted the sword into his bow like an arrow, aiming at the spot where the mass of mindless bloodsuckers had gathered..._

"_**Caladbolg..."**__ he declared, as he let the arrow fly..._

_BOOM!_

_The earth around the area was shaken, as a huge explosion erupted at the place where the projectile had been shot, flames engulfing the most of the monstrosities there, while the fortunate ones who did not get caught up in the blast tried to flee..._

_BOOM!_

_...which he made sure they did not manage to do, by firing a second overcharged sword at them..._

_Most of them have been destroyed. However, he knew that some managed to survive (if you can call it that) the attack. Therefore, he decided to come out of his hiding place and confront them..._

"_**Trace...on..."**_

_Immediately, long thin blades... three in each of his hands appeared... Black Keys... as he charged towards the few which remained..._

_Soon sparks filled the air, as the battle between one human, outnumbered by his undead enemies, raged on..._

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

"Ow, my head hurts..." groaned a boy with blonde-hair, who had just regained his consciousness. For a short moment, he was confused, not knowing what he was doing, where he was, or how get there in the first place. When he saw the face of a man with a bandana, however...

SPLASH!

It all came back to him in a not-exactly pleasant fashion.

"HEY, WHAT DID YOU THAT FOR GEKKO SENSEI?!" shouted Naruto, glaring at the person in front of him.

"Oh, sorry about that," replied the man calmly, as he made the bucket disappear in a puff of smoke. "I thought you were still asleep. And it's Hayate sensei to you. You know I don't like people using my first name. I just doesn't sound right."

"Yeah, whatever, Gekko-s...OOOF!" the young Uzumaki, who had been muttering nonstop, received a whack on the head with something long and broad. "HEY!"

"I'd conserve my strength if I were you, Naruto," stated the man flatly, as he swung his sheathed sword over his shoulder, the looking at his wristwatch. "I'm giving you ten minutes. After that we resume training."

The young Uzumaki, who had been planning to charge at his teacher, simply slumped to the grassy floor of the training grounds in a sitting position, organizing his thoughts as he did so. Indeed, it would have been foolish for him to try and launch an assault on his teacher with a disoriented mind, let alone without his weapon, which he had left lying on the ground.

As Naruto looked at his own watch, he saw that it was already half-past two in the afternoon. They had been training for more or less six hours, minus a fifteen minute lunch break.

Hayate Gekko. He is a special jounin who specialized in kenjutsu, or sword fighting arts, and right now, he is currently teaching the blonde as his sensei for their shinobi arts related crash course.

Overall, Naruto could not help but hold the man in high respect and opinion. From what he had seen and experienced, the man was definitely a powerful shinobi, and was definitely someone you would not want to mess with. And the young Uzumaki's spar, which in his opinion was more like torture, was a testament to that...

Yes, Hayate-sensei was strong... very strong indeed. In all their time training, Naruto had not been able to land even a single hit on him. No matter how he tried, no matter what tactic he employed, even creating several Shadow Clones he(Naruto) always ended up biting the dust.

To make matters worse, the kenjutsu using jounin had not even used any other technique aside from his sword arts... and the sword he was using remained sheathed by the way, while the blonde-haired boy threw everything he had at him... well, not everything as there were some particular jutsus which Sakura had expressly forbidden him from using unless it was absolutely necessary, but Naruto could tell that there was a large gap between their abilities, especially when it comes to strength, speed and skill. He would certainly learn a lot from him, especially as a sparring partner. He now had someone to spar with who had a different fighting style to that used by his two friends. Still, despite all these things he had to focus his attention on...

He could not help but be distracted, as he recalled the experience that he had while he had been knocked unconscious...

In truth, dreams, like the one he had during the time that he was out cold, was actually normal for him. In fact, as far as Naruto could remember, he had always had them. Now, however, the visions had been visiting him much more frequently than before, and in the past few weeks, there had not been a single night when he did not have one of these dreams. And unlike before, when they were limited to the vision of a hill of swords, the young Uzumaki's visions had now expanded outside of it, and he was now seeing and experiencing many things in his sleep... dreams, which for some reason he could not understand, seem so real... dreams, which feel like memories... memories, which were Naruto's own, yet not his own... or were they really his own after all?

Yes, he had been having this problem for a while now. In fact, he actually contemplated on telling Sakura and Tenten about it, but he decided not to. True, he was sure that they would not abandon him, but Naruto did not want to burden them and add to their problems something which he could manage on his own. And in fact, while it was true that the dreams, according to one of Naruto's own theories, may be a sign that he was going crazy, they had actually been very useful.

For starters, it was through some of these visions that Naruto managed to learn the nature of some of his abilities, particularly his skills as a repairman... as well as his unique skill in determining the composition of items, particularly blades and weaponry... which he found out was called Structural Analysis, a skill which he had passively using all these years.

He had also learned, from one of his dreams, a magecraft spell known as Reinforcement. While he did not fully understand what magecraft actually is, Naruto was able to correctly guess that it was probably some form of jutsu. It was a technique which allowed the user to augment and strengthen his physical abilities by flooding his body with energy. The main difference between this 'magecraft' and 'ninjutsu,' as far as the blonde could tell, was that while 'ninjutsu' requires the molding of chakra, the combination of physical and spiritual energy, 'magecraft' only requires the latter, spiritual energy or od as he saw in his vision, and was thus easier to use.

Yes, Naruto had found Reinforcement quite useful, and in fact, he had been discreetly using this particular technique to help him in his training. However, the best part about Reinforcement, as he had found out, was that it was very effective in improving his senses, most of all his eyesight. By sending energy to his eyes, Naruto was now able to see things clearly which are from quite a distance. In fact, having practiced his ability, he was now able to see and count, from the window of his apartment, the small cracks, as well as the remains of paint (which Naruto was responsible for of course) on the Heads of the Hokages at the Hokage moment.

And to add to that, he had also somehow gained improvement with his Structural Analysis. Unlike before, when he could only use the ability for small objects, he was now able to use it for large structures and buildings, by combining it with his Reinforcement. In fact, as far as he could tell, his ability, from what he had read about doujutsu, was probably quite similar to the Byakugan, since he could actually see beyond walls with it, and was able to tell how many people were in a certain place, as well as the exact spot they were occupying, even if there was something solid that should block his vision. Indeed, these abilities were useful.

But the ability, which Naruto had seen from his dreams, that interested him the most, was the one which made weapons appear out of thin air, the one which seemed to create made swords and blades out of nothing, the magecraft, or ninjutsu...

...called Tracing...

Projection, or Tracing, as it was called, was not actually, as Naruto found out, the ability to 'create' swords, but rather the ability to 'recreate' or 'reproduce' existing weapons, or at least weapons which once existed, although he was limited blades. The main requirement for this technique to work, as Naruto found out, was that the user should have a complete grasp or knowledge of the original, it concept, it structure, it composition. The blonde did not know if there were other shinobi who may be able to use this technique, but as far as he could tell, his own abilities were suited to use it. After all, he was able to tell, with a single glance, these particular traits of a blade or weapon, and all it would take was a few seconds... And in fact, weapons which he had seen in his dream also applied to this particular category...

He remembered... Naruto now completely remembered, the time he was attacked and ambushed by the Hyuugas. And it was at that time of desperation, that he had used that particular jutsu for the first time... he Traced a pair of black and white blades, Kanshou and Byakuya, and with it, he had managed to take down one of his assailants, thus buying enough time for help to arrive. Still, despite his attempts to use Projection, so far, he had not been completely successful...

True, he was able to Trace the weapons, and he was also now able to tolerate the headache which comes with it, but he is still only able to maintain them for a few seconds... which thus did not make it such a useful ability for long term battle. However, it was through these constant attempts at Tracing Weapons, that he realized the usefulness and significance of the other ability which he has, an ability that goes hand in hand with projection...

Naruto had been trying, trying his best, to reproduce every weapon he had ever laid eyes on, both in real life and in his dreams, and it was through these, that he realized, that only was he able to know the structure and composition of weapons... but he was also able to understand...

...the battle experiences that were held by said weaponry...

And it was the flood of this knowledge which was actually, as far as Naruto had observed, one of the main causes of the headache he experienced. When he Traced a kunai which he had recently bought, he found that doing so did not give him much pain, for the weapon was only new and therefore did not yet have much history. When he tried reproducing the training sword which he had been using however, he found that knowledge of its use (which he already knew of course) flowed through his brain, and it made him dizzy. Wanting to confirm things, he secretly tried doing the same with Sakura's and Tenten's weapons, as well as those worn by shinobi he had come across, as well as the weapons he had seen in his visions... and indeed, they gave him quite a headache (In fact, he had tried doing the same with his Hayate sensei's and Asuma sensei's sword and trench knives, which did indeed have a lot of battle experience)... Still...

This was one particularly ability which Naruto knew, if he managed to master, would be extremely useful to him, for he would have an edge, as it allowed him to absorb the fighting skills which comes with the weapon. The only setback is that once the weapons fade, or are no longer in his hands, so would the memory of using them. The skill only remained as long as the weapon remained. And also...

Even with all the knowledge, it was useless if his body was not strong enough to utilize it. Therefore, he had to train hard to make sure that his body was up to par to make use of the battle experience and techniques which the weapons give him access to.

Structural Analysis, Reinforcement, Tracing, and the utilization of weapon experiences, were the jutsus Naruto learned through the dreams he had...

However, aside from these, aside from all the knowledge and second-hand experiences that Naruto gained, there was something else, something which he learned through, that the blonde-haired boy could not help but feel was more important than any of these new-found battle abilities that he acquired. And this particular something...

Was the willpower, as well as the reason, the desire which served as the driving force behind the actions of the person in the blonde-haired boy's dreams and memories...

At the start, Naruto, like any other person, was supposed to be blank slate, one who is supposed to possessed the instincts and emotions of any normal person. However, in reality, he was not, and it was for this reason, that he could not help but see the parallel, the similarities, between himself and the two persons whose memories he had been dreaming about... and for some reason, Naruto, despite his young age, could not help that these parallels were just coincidences.

_...a white-haired man clad in red..._

_... a red-haired man clad in blue..._

A normal person's natural instinct, which should, from the term of the word, be considered normal, is survival, or in the other words, the will of self-preservation, the desire to live. In other terms, you could also call it selfishness, self-centeredness, the desire to put oneself as a priority above everything else. However...

Just like the two people in his vision, the blonde-haired boy did not have this particular trait within him. Just like them...

Naruto never really saw himself, nor did he ever place himself in the equation of people that must be protected...

He did not know why, but from the very start, he had always had the instinct, the impulse, to try and protect people, and this particular drive, before he had met Sakura, before he had made friends with many of the villagers which he had now, that had further gotten him into trouble with the people of the Hidden Leaf Village, who hated him with a passion.

Yes, and perhaps it was also for this very reason that Naruto had once nearly lost all hope to live. True, he wanted to be a hero. However, he had never been after fame, nor had he been after recognition. No, all he ever wanted to do, was protect the people around him...

Which was why, he could not help but despair at the time, as he saw how powerless he actually was. For as he realized, the people around him had seemed strong, and thus did not saving. They did not require protection... Nobody really needed him...

And then, they came into his life. First Sakura... then Tenten... and many others, who had become his friends, and the blonde-haired boy could not help but feel joy well up in his heart...

For once again, he had found a reason to keep on living. True, Naruto never really considered himself to be part of the equation, nor did he consider himself as part of the list of people that needed to be save. However, despite this fact, the blonde-haired boy had done his best to stay alive and continue moving forward. For even if he did not really care for himself, he did care about others, but most of all, he cared about Sakura. And if he were to die, he knew that it would hurt her, he knew that it would cause her pain...

_...a beautiful girl with blonde hair and green eyes..._

In truth, up to now, Naruto did not yet fully understand, why the people he had seen in his dream felt so familiar... that for some reason, he had been in that dream, that he was them, both the young man with red hair and the man with white hair. Not only that, but for some reason, he also could not help but feel that there was a deep connection between his best friend, Haruno Sakura, and the petite blonde-haired female in his dreams. Yes, he was still confused, unable to fully comprehend what was going on. However, even though they were similar, even though they have identical lines of thought and desires, there was one thing that Naruto made sure, and promised himself, that he would not do...

The blonde promised himself, that he would not completely follow the same path as the man with silver hair...

He would choose his friends and loved ones over his ideals...

The young Uzumaki swore to himself, that he would do what the young man with red hair did...

No matter what happened, he would do everything in his power to stay alive, even though it is not for the sake of his own well being... it was for her, Sakura's sake. He would never leave her to suffer by herself... he would never leave her alone...

"Sixty seconds."

The young Uzumaki was awakened from his reverie, as he saw a man with a bandana, sheathed sword in hand, standing in front of him, in a fighting stance...

"As I think you should know, Naruto, I am quite strict with time," stated Naruto's sensei, Hayate Gekko, flatly. "Once your ten minutes of rest is up, I will attack you, whether you are ready or not."

Knowing that his teacher meant every word, the young Uzumaki quickly got up and picked up his twin swords... swords, which were similar in design, yet different, to Kanshou and Bakuya, that were forged for him by Tenten's parents. True, they were as similar as he had hoped for, as the swords are without experience save his own (as well the fact that both swords were of the ordinary silvery metal color, not black and white), but at least its shape and weight are identical...

"Time's up," declared the man with the large sword, who immediately rushed at Naruto after his declaration...

Soon, the air was filled with the sound of clashing metal _**(A/N: In this case, I made it so that Hayate Gekko's sword sheath is also made of metal, as well as quite durable to withstand Naruto's unsheathed blades.)**_, a battle of skill and swordsmanship, between Naruto and Hayate, student and teacher...

Which did not last long of course. Soon enough, the blonde-haired had once again been subdued, and found himself kneeling on the ground, leaning on both of his swords which he stuck to it, to stop himself from completely falling into the dust...

"Five minutes and thirty three seconds," said the special jounin, as he walked towards Naruto, before stretching out his hand to help him up, which the blonde-haired boy accepted. "You're improving."

Yes, he was indeed improving. True, he still had not been able to land a hit on his teacher, but he was slowly gaining progress, and he was now able to last longer than before. In fact, during their first spar, it took Hayate less than ten seconds to disable the blonde... yes, it was indeed a bit of improvement. However...

_It's not enough..._

Yes, the blonde-haired boy knew that he still had a long way to go. If he were to succeed in his goals, if he was to protect Sakura, Tenten and all of his friends...

_Stronger... I must become stronger... _thought the blonde to himself, as he and his sensei once again faced each other, the sound of metal clashing against metal resounding in the air...

**-BREAK-**

(Multiperson POV)

"So, anyway, Sakura-chan, how was training with Kurenai sensei?" inquired a blonde-haired boy, whose name was Naruto, as they, along with Tenten, starting heading in the direction of the young Uzumaki's apartment.

"It was okay," replied the pinkette nonchalantly. However, in truth, this was a lie.

It had not exactly been a pleasant day for the pink-haired girl named Haruno Sakura. Part of this was due to one of the three people who had taken the mission of training her and her friends. No, her problem, was not because of who it was... but rather, it was due to what he... or rather she, was doing, as well as the aura which surrounds her...

In truth, while Sakura was indeed irritated, it was not because of the jounin who was assigned to teach her, Kurenai Yuhi. No, the reason why she was annoyed was due to the fact said red-eyed female was not really late. In fact, said person...

...was actually around all the time, hiding on top of one the trees behind the pink-haired girl...

Whatever her problem was, Sakura did not really know. Since it was just the first day of training, she decided to let it pass. However, if she continues acting this way... then the pinkette would have to assume that she was being truly unprofessional and had ulterior motives (which she already suspected based from the older woman's reactions), and Sakura would need to have her replaced (After all, Sakura was the client who was paying for their particular mission, which means that she had every right to complain.).

The only consolation was at least two of them were taking their job seriously. Hayate Gekko, for one... while Sakura did have some problems with him in the past, she was now one of her trusted acquaintances. Despite their difference in age, Hayate had actually considered her as an equal, both as a friend and as a rival.

She knew, and had actually felt the change in his outlook, especially one regarding her blonde-haired friend. Overall, the man was actually only too happy to help, and in fact, it was Gekko, upon Sakura's request, who had tried to find people, aside from himself, who would be able to train them properly. And the man himself was doing his job well. According to Naruto, Hayate was amazing at kenjutsu, and in fact, at the end of the day, the blonde-haired boy had not been able to land a single hit on him, not even once. At this Sakura could not help but smile, for while Gekko did not unsheathe his sword, he did not go easy on the young Uzumaki either. While it was true that the jounin and the pinkette were almost on par when it comes to kenjutsu, she must admit that while her training of him(Naruto) was harsh, she was actually going a bit soft on him. At least he would be able to push him further than she had been able to do so far.

Then, there was Asuma Sarutobi, who, according to Tenten, had been literally a pain in the ***. He was, according to the bun-haired girl, a blunt son of a ***** who was both a sadist and a pervert at the same time.

The sadist part, based from the girl's story, was probably to completely true. Tenten had quite a number of bruises, although thankfully none of them were serious. They would probably heal in a couple of days, and will not hinder her training in anyway...

The pervert part... well, while there may be some truth in it, the pinkette could not help but feel that the man simply wanted to get some of his pride back, and it was also probably the reason why he originally wanted to take her(Sakura) on first. For according to Tenten, the man used the _**Ultimate Taijutsu Arts: Thousand Years of Death**_ on her, and while it was true that it did somehow infuriate her(Tenten) enough to pummel the man in front of her and get past her limits...

...well, such an act done by a male to a female is not exactly seemly...

It was kind of sad really, that there was no one else there to see it. Although the next time the man tried it... they would make sure that they take a photograph of his act... in the same way that Naruto did when the former member of the Twelve Guardians was sent flying by that very same jutsu the day before... another swell blackmail material...

"Yeah, I can smell it now," the bun-haired girl was muttering with a glint in her eye, as the blonde-haired boy, who had a similar evil look on his face, handed her the camera. "The sweet scent of victo..."

_Sweet scent of... ?!_

"COVER YOUR MOUTHS AND NOSE, BOTH OF YOU!" shouted Sakura, suddenly.

"Sakura-chan?" inquired the blonde-haired boy, as both he and Tenten turned to look at the pinkette. "What's going...?!"

Yes, Sakura was a calm and calculative person, who rarely ever raises her voice. This time, however, she was unable to stop herself from doing so... However, even with all her shouting...

It was too late...

"Wh-what is this?" said Tenten weakly, panic in her voice, as she and Naruto found themselves on their knees, unable to move, while Sakura, who was the first to notice and was thus able to prevent herself from breathing in a bit earlier, was also barely standing...

And to make matters worse, as if on cue, five people suddenly appeared in front of them, and judging from their presence, there was no doubt about it... they were shinobi... and they were the ones responsible...

Whoever these people were, who were undoubtedly enemies... were good... and knew when to strike, doing so at an abandoned alleyway which Sakura and her group always preferred to take as shortcut back to the apartment... a place where there will be no witnesses...

The girl whose name was Haruno could not help but blame herself for this predicament. She had gone soft. Having allowed herself to get caught in conversation, she had actually overlooked the presence that she had momentarily felt... and which she was now sure was one of these people... who had probably been following them for a while now...

But for them to lay a trap such as this...

"Who are you? What do you want?" the pinkette narrowed her eyes as she tried striking up a conversation with their assailants, expecting an answer or response...

...which she did not get...

"Take the Uchiha girl," commanded a voice. "Dispose of the other two."

The other hooded figures nodded, as they unsheathed their blades from their sheaths...a design which was not common in Konoha... and began advancing towards them...

"Damn it," muttered Sakura to herself, gritting her teeth as she stabbed herself on the leg with a kunai, to fight the drowsiness she was feeling with the pain, before unsheathing her own sword.

She had been caught off guard. She had allowed herself to be distracted and had thus been careless.

And now her attempt at delaying things by striking up a conversation was not working... Already she had discreetly sent a message to the Hokage about the situation using her familiars... the only problem was, Sakura was not sure if they would make it in time...

"I must admit, I'm impressed that you're still standing after taking in that much tranquilizer," mused one of the approaching assailants, his blade gleaming in the moonlight...

She was weak, whatever it was that she had inhaled was definitely potent, and in fact, she was only standing and still awake because of her willpower... However...

Even though she knew it was hopeless, she still had to try...

_There has to be a way!_ thought Sakura to herself, forcing herself to think despite the fact that her mind was numb, all the while not letting her eyes wander from the hooded figures who were now only five meters away from them...

Under normal circumstances, the pinkette would already be afraid, to have to face four enemies at the same time. However, she had confidence in her skills, and she was sure she would find a way to escape...

The present situation, however, is much worse. Thanks to whatever drug it was, she was disabled, and was barely even conscious. She was outnumbered, and aside from that... her friends were down... She was all alone...

Clang

The pink-haired girl barely managed to parry the attack that was sent at her by the first one, and now, she was vulnerable, an opening, which, as she saw, was immediately taken advantage of by their second assailant, while the other two had jumped... undoubtedly planning to get behind her... it was over...

...they were going to die...

Clang

...or not...

"Naruto..." gasped Sakura, as she saw that her blonde-haired friend was standing, blocking the blade with one of his own... which would have otherwise cut off her arm...

"If you want to hurt my friends," muttered the boy, who was panting, one of his blue eyes closed, undoubtedly struggling to remain conscious. "YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME FIRST!"

**FIRESTYLE: GREAT FIREBALL TECHNIQUE!  
**

A large ball of flame was sent skywards, which forced the two shinobi in mid-air to fall back...

"Ten-chan!" cried the blonde, as the girl in question was also up on her feet, her blood red eyes glowing in the night.

"How are you feeling?" inquired the pinkette of her friend.

"Just a bit dizzy," replied the bun-haired girl, who, based from her tone of voice, was trying to lighten the mood despite the dangerous situation they were in.

As she saw that her two companions were up, the pink-haired girl could not help but feel a sense of relief. True, they were still at a huge disadvantage, not to mention the fact that they might fall asleep at any time (which would not be a good thing.). However, despite being compromised, they were still alive and fighting... they could still make it... Their enemies were now more wary of them, and were acting with more caution... which would buy them some tim...

"?!"

In one moment, the pink-haired girl, whose name was Haruno Sakura, had felt an intense feeling of dread... and her instinct was screaming that there was something very wrong...

In the next moment, her eyes widened in horror, as she understood exactly the reason why...

"WATCH OUT!" screamed Sakura. Without pausing to think, she immediately shoved the blonde-haired boy out of the way.

Thud

For one moment, the young Uzumaki was confused, and the fact that he was feeling really sleepy increased addling his brain. He knew now that they were in a dangerous situation, and that if they were not careful, they were screwed...

So why, despite the mortal danger they were in, did Sakura suddenly decide to throw him to the wall, literally?

Thunk...

The next moment, however, he found out the answer...

"No..."

To Naruto, it was as if time itself has stopped. Haruno Sakura... she had always been there for him. She had saved him from despair, saved him from loneliness, and had given him the chance to walk a path of happiness.

She is his friend, his companion... she is the person who had given him the chance to walk away from the darkness and into the light. She was the whole world to him.

"No..."

And now... Sakura, his best friend, the person who had stayed by his side no matter what... the person who meant everything to him... had pushed him out of harm's way and received the attack that was meant for him...

It was his fault, he knew it. If only he had not gotten careless, this never would have happened. And yet...

"Naruto," said the pink-haired girl, relief in her voice...

"No!" cried the blonde, tears forming in his eyes, refusing to believe what he was seeing...

She did not blame him for it. All that mattered to her was that he was safe... that he was unharmed...

"I'm glad you're alright," these were the last word the girl breathed out, her sword falling to the ground with a loud clatter, before she herself slumped into it, a long spear impaled through her chest from her back, as a pool of blood started forming where she fell...

"SAKURAAAA!"

And as the normal people of Konoha turned in for their beds, two loud screams of grief and anguish would have pierced the otherwise quiet and peaceful night, had it not been for the sound barrier that had been placed around the alleyway beforehand...

Unknown to them, however, there was someone else, aside from the two, who had been filled with grief, guilt and despair, as she witnessed what happened to the only human being in existence she had ever considered as a friend, roaring a mighty roar, with a mixture of hatred and sorrow...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Yes, it was not easy, writing this chapter, but somehow I managed to do so. Phew, I actually had a lot things to do so I am actually glad I still managed to find enough time for this. And also...

Remember, like I said before, while it is true that I am a true Saber/Arturia fan, I am also, at the same time, a full-fledged Haruno Sakura hater... Fufufu... So which of these two sides prevailed? The like or the hate... well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

Now, someone PM-ed me, I won't say who, who was actually insisting that I add other Type-moon Characters to my story. Well, like I said before, that is still up for debate, but at the moment I have no intention of doing... maybe in the much later chapters when the battles become harder, but that is still not for sure.

Yeah and a bit of reminder, when I write down the name of a jutsu, they do not shout or scream its name, they simply use it. But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18: AWAKENING: WROUGHT IRON HERO**

(Kurama POV)

"_**Sakura... wake up... hey... SAKURA!"**_

On a certain hill, where the air was fresh and green grasses flourish, two people were currently residing...

One of them was a girl with pink hair, who looked as if she was asleep, while the other one, who had the unconscious girl's head on her lap, shaking her on her shoulders...

...was another female, who had red-orange hair, and who was currently sobbing, tears falling from her blood red eyes, pleading, apologizing, trying her best to awaken the pinkette, doing everything in her power to make sure she did not die... And the name of that particular woman...

...was Kurama...

Yes, Kurama, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the strongest and mightiest of the Bijuu, who can destroy mountains and create tsunamis with a single swish of its tail... a fact, not a legend... at least, before the humans found a way to either control her (like what the Uchihas were capable of using their Sharingan) or contain and place her inside a vessel, a junchuuriki, thus turning the Nine Tailed Demon Fox into nothing but a prisoner, a weapon, whose power the humans foolishly try to harness...

And she hated it with a passion. Just like any being, Kurama also had feelings... and she certainly did not enjoy being a prisoner... she did not like being controlled nor manipulated... she wanted to be free...

And like any being in existence with emotions, she also felt sorrow. Sorrow, caused by the death of her friend and father figure, her creator, Rikudo Sennin, the Sage of the Six Paths. And in more recent years, her sorrow had been overshadowed by her rage and hatred, at the attempts, many of which were successful, to manipulate her, and in the past decades, she had been imprisoned again and again, inside jinchuuriki, against her will. To make matters worse, at her most recent chance for freedom, a certain Uchiha just had to use genjutsu on her to control her and force her to destroy Konoha. Not that she cared about the village of course, but it was because of this that the Yondaime managed to catch up with her, thus sealing her once again into a jinchuuriki. Had it not been for the man who had the same power as Madara (or perhaps it was Madara himself?), Kurama would not have touched the villagers. The worst she would have probably done was kill Kushina (and with Kurama's experience of being her prisoner, who could blame her?), her vessel, and then leave... temporarily, to one day strike at the people who thought so highly of themselves as to think they were above the bijuu, especially the Uchiha. Yes, that was the plan... revenge...

...which the kitsune now saw as hardly relevant. Before, vengeance was all that mattered. As she witnessed a certain pink-haired fall, however, she realized it was no longer the case...

Kurama had tried, tried to stop the emotions that had slowly been forming up within, to ignore the bond of friendship that had been forming between her and the girl whose name was Haruno Sakura.

Yes, it was true. Four years... for a being like her, who can live for decades, centuries, or even millennia... a powerful entity which, if not attacked, would be able to stay alive indefinitely... it was just a small, a very small amount of time... And it was made even shorter by the fact that the fox had been enjoying herself, finding the girl's company fun and comforting. However, while it was true that she had been experiencing happiness... true happiness, which she had not felt for centuries, she also knew that it would also come with a price...

For while a tailed beast like herself was practically immortal... a human being was not, and their lifespan was next to nought compared to one...

And Kurama knew, the kitsune knew, the kind of pain that such an attachment could cause her once the person she cherished died.

Knowing this, the kitsune tried to break free from it. She had reasoned with herself, telling herself that the girl was a traitor. For not only was she friends with Naruto, who was not only her jailor, but also the son of the Kushina, who was her previous vessel, and Minato, the fourth Hokage, who was the one who sealed her(Kurama) and forced her to continue her torment, the girl Sakura had also been fraternizing with an Uchiha, the people who had eyes which the kitsune loathed with every fibre of her being...

Yes, Sakura had betrayed her, and now, Kurama no longer wanted to do anything with her. Like hell she cared what happened to her... And all of these thoughts the kitsune had were, all her speculations, her assumptions, were in all honesty...

...nothing but lies...

She thought she had finally done it. She thought she finally managed to break free, to cut her ties with her, to break their bond...

...but it was too late. No matter how Kurama tried, it was just impossible. The girl had already become someone important... someone precious, to the her. And she now held a place in the kitsune's heart... a dear friend and family, one of the only two beings to have existed that have ever been able to do so...

The first of these two people, had caused Kurama a great amount of grief the moment he had died, which was the very reason why Kurama never wanted to be attached to someone...

And now Haruno Sakura, the only other person to have gotten the kitsune's affection...

...was about to die...

It wasn't her fault, she was not responsible for it, Kurama had tried to convince herself, telling herself this. However, she could not.

For the kitsune was guilty...

...guilty, of trying to destroy their friendship...

...guilty, of trying to abandon her friend...

Yes, she was greatly regretting it. Had she not become reclusive, ignoring the only being in existence that Kurama cared about... and indeed, the only being who truly cared about the kitsune in the same way... she may have been able to do something to prevent this from happening...

But now it was too late. Her one and true friend and family had been mortally wounded. Sakura was going to die...

No, Kurama could not... would not accept this...

In truth, the fox had been awake at the time, having sensed the mortal danger that her host Uzumaki Naruto was in. However, she ignored it. After all, she would not be of much help anyway, and also, she had been sure that they would make it out alive. Still, unmotivated though she was, the fox decided to see what was happening through her host's eyes...

Just in time to see her(Kurama's) precious person fall to the ground in a pool of blood...

If there was one being who had felt as horrible as the jinchuuriki and Uchiha girl... that would be none other than Kurama. For had she not acted the way she had, things may have never gone that far...

And thus, the mighty being screamed, roared, in rage, in sorrow, and in agony. And the kitsune would have wanted nothing less than destroy the people who had hurt her precious friend. However, despite all the anger and fury she was feeling...

She controlled herself. For Kurama's priority, above all else, was not revenge. For what mattered to her the most...

...was Sakura...

She knew, Kurama already knew, that the pinkette had opened her mind to her, and had not closed it, not even once, even at the times that the kitsune was being reclusive. And thus, the bijuu was able to transfer her consciousness back and forth, between the girl and the jinchuuriki.

And had she really wanted to, Kurama could have controlled her, and used it to attack the bastards who attacked them.

However, she did not... for if the kitsune were to abuse Sakura's body which was grievously wounded, it would have killed her. True, Kurama may have been able to defeat them, but it would be at a heavy cost...

And Kurama would never be able to forgive herself if she let Sakura die...

Therefore, instead of trying to murder their assailants, Kurama instead focused all her efforts at healing her friend. Taking as much chakra with her as the seal would allow her, the kitsune immediately used the energy to help increase her friend's recovery, her chakra having a yellowish-golden glow, for Kurama made sure that it was free of any negative influence that would otherwise hurt the pinkette...

She knew, Kurama was aware, that what she was doing was probably futile. Their enemies were advancing upon them, and there was probably not enough time...

If she focused on healing Sakura, the chance of the other two fending off five trained shinobi was low. Unless some miracle happens, they would definitely die...

If she attacked using Sakura's injured body, there was a higher chance that he jinchuuriki(and in effect, Kurama) would survive. However, it would also assure the pinkette's death...

And if the kitsune were to choose, she would rather die than abandon Sakura again.

**-BREAK-**

(? POV)

**(AUTHOR'S NOTE: For you to fully understand some rabbles in this chapter, I would recommend that you first read Chapter 50, A Glimpse of the Past, of my other fic, the Harry Potter and Fate/Stay Night Crossover, A New Fate first. For there is a rough summary of the version of the fifth Holy Grail War that they experienced, especially the part about Archer and Shirou.).**

He remembered... he remembered everything... everything that happened, before he gladly met his end... well, a copy of him at least... after all he was nothing but a copy of his real self, that was preserved in that goddamn place where time is not applicable...

How he was able to recall and remember when he was supposed to have ceased to exist, he did not know... he was probably just imagining things... or else his contractor was playing with him again... either way, he did not really care.

He recalled, how he had a change of heart, how he had been convinced, by the very person he sought to kill, that he would never take the same path that he did, and thus showed him, what he truly desired in his heart, the path which he truly which to take...

He truly wanted to save everyone, that was the truth. Whether or not it had been the same desire that was held by the man who had saved them from the fire, the man who had adopted him and became his father would not have mattered, he was sure he would have followed that same path anyway...

Yes, he remembered. In life, he had killed, he had killed countless people, and in doing so, he had saved countless more than he had slain... it was not a bad exchange. Whether guilty or innocent, evil or not, even women and children, as long as their deaths meant that more would be saved, he gladly set out with the task of butchering them...

But among the people he had slain... were his friends, his companions, the people who had ever meant anything to him. Yes, he loved them, he cared for them, but he froze his heart, and continued to forge on the path, to follow his ideals...

For in truth, the truth was nothing but a lie. He did not really want to save everyone. For what he really wanted to do...

Was protect the people he cared for the most... and he had failed to do so, he himself had been the cause of the demise of many of them... Perhaps it was due to the death of a loved one he had been unable to save... his precious person, a silver-haired girl with ruby-red eyes, despite all his efforts to keep her alive, that he drowned himself in his ideals...

Still, he did not acknowledge this fact. All he knew that he was in pain, that he was tired of acting as cleaner, as the world's protector. All he wanted was an end to it all...

And then the white-haired man seemed to have been given the opportunity. He was summoned to a time when his younger self existed. If he succeeded in killing his past self, it would cause a paradox, strong enough, so that the hero will lose his place in the throne, and thus he will cease to exist, he will be freed from his cursed his existence...

However, the version of himself that he had met was unlike anything he had counted on. True, he still desired to save as many people as he could, but they were different... the two of them were different. He was prepared to kill one to save ten, but if that one person was someone close to him, he would let the ten die without any hesitation...

The future self would have sacrificed his loved-one to save many.

The younger self would have sacrificed the many to save his loved-one.

And in that sense, they were opposites... or were they really? As he soon realized, they were actually exactly the same, at least in that aspect. The only difference is that while they wanted the same thing, the course of action they took was different.

Becoming a hero had never been the mistake. No, it was abandoning his friends that was. All throughout his life, the man had never betrayed his ideals, or didn't he? In the end, as he realized, he had never followed the path that he wished to take... for he froze his heart, and turned his mind into steel...

Yet his younger self also had a mind of steel, and in fact was already nearly as iron-headed as he was. The only difference was, he had betrayed his ideals... or did he? No, his path had not, in any way, betrayed his ideals. As he eventually realized, there was one main difference between them.

The older one had betrayed his heart, whereas the younger one did not.

And as time continued on, he, the future self, realized that the red-haired young man, who was his younger self, had been following the very path that he himself should have followed, that he himself wanted to follow...

And thus, his younger version which he had met, was not the manifestation of his mistaken ideals... no, he, the future self, was the mistake... for the young man with red hair was the mirror image of the older one's true self... a reflection of his heart. True, he may have a lot of flaws, but no one in the world was perfect...

He, the future self, despaired, that the seats of happiness are rare and few... that not everyone can be saved...

Him, his younger self, accepted it. If not everyone can be saved... if the seats of happiness are rare and few... then he would at least do everything in his power to make sure that the people he cared for the most get one each, other people be damned...

And as it turned out, the past self that he had met this time around, was none other than...

...his true self.

When he had first joined the war, his objective had been to kill his younger self. But after seeing everything, his objective had changed. His purpose change, to make sure that all of them, the people who meant anything... and most of all, the silver-haired girl who weighed most heavily to him, despite being small and light in actuality... remained safe and happy. He would do everything in his power to make sure that they make it through alive. And indeed, he had done everything in his power... and perhaps more, since his heart was no longer frozen...

With his mind of steel and his heart in full agreement, the man was able to fight with more power and resolve than he had ever had in all the times that he had been summoned. He had done what should have been impossible. He had defeated enemies that were beyond his reach, even taking down one of the strongest ones who had twelve lives in all to spare.

And yet, like in war, unexpected things happen. He had been grievously injured, with no way of recovering. He was not sure if his original self in the Throne would acknowledge it when he gained knowledge about this summon, since he would not truly remember, and his exploit would actually be nothing but a book to him, but it did not matter. Even if it was just for a couple of days, he had fought for them, he had fought for his friends, he had fought for his true ideals that he had buried deep in his heart...

Then the unexpected happened. He expected to disappear into nothingness, he expected to be absorbed into the Grail, he expected bits of information to be sent to the Throne's bank of memories for archiving, as things should have been. And yet, none of these things occurred.

It was probably due to the fact that they were so similar... perhaps the fact that they have almost the same mindset, goals and objectives, as well as resolve. For his soul, instead of merging with the Holy Grail...

...merged with the soul of his younger self instead...

It was a surprise, and if he was to be honest with himself, he was actually shocked. However, it was not unwelcome. In fact, he was actually glad. He knew that he would still cease to exist, he knew that his consciousness would be no more... but it did not matter. From what he had seen, his younger self could be trusted, and since he still had the same reckless attitude that the future self once had, it was a blessing, that his powers and abilities, would be transferred to him. For it would help the people he cared for the most survive... it would help him continue on the path, which the both of them, past and future, truly wanted to take...

And so, as they merged, he turned into nothingness, talking for one last time with his younger self in their mindscape of swords, making one last request... to protect the silver-haired girl who had been the person he cared for the most. He already knew that his younger self had fallen for someone else, a blonde-haired girl with green eyes who was also a close friend and ally of his, but he knew that it would not be much of a problem. All of them were precious to the red-head as well, and he would undoubtedly do everything in his power to protect them...

And thus, the man closed his eyes, as a white light consumed him, and he knew no more, it was the end for him, and he would finally be able to rest...

"SAKURAAAA!"

...or not...

'_**Hmmm?'**_ he mused to himself, not knowing what, who, when, why, how, except for the fact that he had heard someone screaming... For a moment there he absentmindedly thought of a girl with purple hair who went by that name... although it turned out to be someone else...

He was in a daze, looking at someone lying on the ground... a pink-haired girl, probably around nine or ten, lying in a pool of blood, with a spear sticking from behind her back. Yes, there was nothing out of the ordinary, although for some reason, despite not being the person he thought her to be, the girl exuded a familiar aura.

'_**Hmmm...' **_he mused for another moment, as five suspicious-looking persons, holding long thin weapons in their hands, and wearing hoods to cover their face...

'_**HMMMM?!'**_

He, who had been in a daze, suddenly shot awake, as his memories, his consciousness, his sense of self and awareness, returned to him, his mind going into overdrive, as it tried to process everything as fast as it could...

Had he been in control, he was sure his eyes would have widened in shock, but alas he was not. He could see, he could hear, he could smell, he could feel... however, he was not in control. He could not move, he was immobile, stiff as a statue.

In truth, he was still confused, puzzled, still unable to fully comprehend exactly what the hell was going on. He already had a lot of theories whirring in his mind, as well as a vague of suspicion of what has happened. However, he knew it was not the time to think about such things. If he wanted questions answered, it would have to wait for later...

True, he could not control the body and make it move. However, if there was one thing that he noticed, he still had some control over the energy... the od and prana... true, there was something strange about it, not to mention the fact that he had sensed the presence of something which seemed rather sinister, but based from the boy's peculiarly familiar Magic Circuits, he could not help but have a vague suspicion of his true identity (there was no way he could be anyone else)...

For now, however, he had to focus on keeping him... no, them... alive...

'_**Tch!'**_

For as he noticed, he was not alone. There was girl with black hair with them. And aside from that... the rather familiar female with a weapon impaled through her chest... was also still alive. True, the wound was a serious one, especially since it went through the girl's lungs.

However, the spear had not pierced directly through her heart. It was slim, but there was still a chance for her to pull through... but she would need to get medical attention as soon as possible...

'_**Trace...on...'**_

Not wanting to waste anymore time, he flooded his/their Magic Circuits with od, as he formed several images in his mind...

And as the five people who were undoubtedly hostiles started moving swiftly towards them, he could not help but smile a bit (although it did not appear on the boy, but at least he was out of his dazed grief, and was now much more alert, undoubtedly at having felt a sudden surge of energy which he did not initiate) at their error.

'_**Set...'**_

Had he been able to move the body, he would have probably taken a pose which he had copied, aside from his swords, from a certain red-eyed, golden-haired hated nemesis...

And as he made the images in his mind appear in the real world... numerous swords, spears, and blades, seemingly floating in empty space, he could not help but smirk in satisfaction, at the feeling of shock and panic that he had sensed from their assailants.

'_**Continuous FIRE!' **_

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Now, some of you have PM-ed me and had been asking questions. However, I will answer that a bit later.

For now, like I said before, if you want to gain a better understanding of the rambles, I would recommend that you first read chapter fifty, A Glimpse of the Past, of my other fanfic, A New Fate, as it more or less sums up the events of the Fifth Holy Grail War they experienced. And yes, it is different from Canon.

Now, to answer some of your questions.

* * *

**Question:** Will you eventually turn your story into a harem fic?

**Answer:** Maybe yes, maybe no. However, if there will be harem, it would limited to three girls only. No one else will be allowed on board, and I think you can already guess who they will be...

* * *

**Question:** Are you planning to kill Sakura?

**Answer:** No, definitely not. Now, I know at least one of you wanted this to be a Naruto-centric fic. However, I have to balance it out between them...

* * *

**Question:** Will you be adding more characters from Type-Moon?

**Answer: **I already said it's a possibility and that I may or may not do it, but that it will be in the later... much later chapters. However, in case you haven't noticed, I already broke that particular promise, since I just added another one. I'm sure it won't be that hard to guess who it is, and it's someone at my top three list of coolest Anime characters ever (and yeah, it includes all Anime/Manga/Etc I have watched/read).

* * *

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19: A DISTANT AND FORGOTTEN PAST**

**Fuyuki City, Japan, December 2006**

(Shirou Emiya POV)

Ding! Dong!

"WE'RE HOME!"

Soon the door was opened, by a silver-haired young female with ruby-red eyes.

"ONII-CHAN!" cried the girl happily, as she tackled a red-haired young man, into a vice grip-like embrace.

"Guh!" the boy blurted out, gasping for breath, as the small female began to swing around, using his neck as support. "Ilya... you're choking me... Saber, a little help please..."

The blonde woman, however, instead of helping out, ignored him, and instead, was slowly walking, almost as stealthily as an Assassin Class Servant, away from the scene... However...

"SABER!"

"Guh!"

Unfortunately, the King of Knights was a bit too late, for the silver-haired female had now dislodged herself from her brother and had now latched on to her instead, rubbing her face against her chest...

"Shirou!" gasped the petite blonde, looking pleadingly at the young man who was her lover...

"Saber," said the red-haired magus. "I'm off to the kitchens to cook dinner. Please look after Ilya for a while..."

The female blonde was about to open her mouth in protest, but closed it again, deciding not to. After all, it was best not to disturb Shirou while he was at work in the kitchens. It was already a proven fact that while the man's dishes were excellent, the quality goes down a peg or two if he was distracted. And even someone like Saber, who did not really have a particular type of food she likes, and far from being a cuisine expert, noticed...

**-BREAK-**

It had been, more or less, a year since the events of the 5th Holy Grail War. Things were finally quiet and peaceful.

As Shirou put on his apron and began cooking, the red-haired magus briefly recalled the events of the War, which he and his friends managed to survive together...

It was a war between fourteen participants. Seven Masters, each one with a Servant, a heroic spirit who wields tremendous power, and had accomplished glorious deeds during their lifetime, were to battle against each other.

The objective of the war? To eliminate all opposition and be the last Master and Servant pair standing...

And somehow, Shirou Emiya got himself dragged into it...

"Master Emiya," inquired a voice, belonging to a silver-haired woman who went by the name Seyla, identical yet taller than Ilya, who entered the kitchen along with another female. "Is there anything we can do to be of assistance?"

"Yes," replied Shirou. "Could you please prepare the table for dinner? We will be having guests tonight."

"Understood, Master Emiya," replied the woman's companion Leysritt, who also had identical silver hair and ruby-red eyes, as they left the kitchen.

"Oh, and please stop calling me Master Emiya," the red-haired magus called after them. "Just call me Shirou..."

"Understood, Maste... Shirou," came the response.

The man who was cooking dinner sighed. Participant of the Grail War or not, he had always been uncomfortable with people calling him Master. Somehow, he just did not like it, partly because he felt it was demeaning for the other party, partly because he thought that being called that way made it seem like he was an old man...

The two weeks in which the 5th Heaven's Feel happened were, in his opinion, the longest and most memorable times in his life, in a horrible, yet also in a good way...

For the war had caused the death of many innocent people, and in fact, the total number of fatalities was equal to 1/4 of the entire Fuyuki City population, mostly thanks to the fact that Caster managed to form an alliance with Gilgamesh, the Archer from the 4th Holy Grail War, and thus unleashed their terror, without care for the secrecy rule that was supposed to govern the war. Kirei Kotomine, the mediator and secretly the master of Lancer, died by the hands of the King of Heroes, who stated that the reason why he killed the fake priest who was his former ally, was due to the fact that he had become boring and uninteresting, and was thus, no longer worthy of his time.

The Caster-Gilgamesh alliance had been an immense force to reckon with, and it took every ounce of strength from Shirou and his friends to finally bring them down, and the entire duration of the War had caused a lot of damage, both to life and property. For the crafty Medea managed to place the evil that was within the Grail, Servant Avenger, Angra Mainyu, under her control, not to mention the fact that she managed to abduct Sakura, keeping her in an unconscious state. The Witch of Betrayal utilized this to her advantage, by having Sakura form a contract with the non-manifested Servant Avenger, and controlled the shadows created from the combination of All the Evils of the World, and Sakura's element, Magic Numbers. Medea had acquired a lot of power, and set about on destroying the city, as well as the world. For Caster had become somewhat insane, the moment that her Master and lover, Kuzuki Souichiro, died at the hands(worms) of Matou Zouken, as well as the fact that she was deprived of the chance to take her revenge.

For Rin (whose motivation was to save Sakura) and Kotomine (who had an axe to grind with the old magus) had formed a temporary alliance, Archer and Saber faced off and killed Shinji's Servant (although sometime later, Sakura confessed that she had actually been the purple-haired Servant's true Master) Rider and Zouken's Servant True Assassin, while Shirou, the female magus and the fake priest proceeded to get rid of the Head of the Matou family head.

And because of this, Caster, who was deprived of her chance to avenge Kuzuki, let go of all restraints, disregarding the rules of secrecy, and decided to vent out her frustration on the world, pulling out all the stops, and this was what got Gilgamesh's attention, who found it amusing and thus, decided to side with her...

Things had actually escalated to a point that the combined efforts of the Mage Association and the Church were barely able to keep it contained and discreet from the rest of the world. Yes, they had succeeded, but with enormous effort. Waver Velvet, also known as Lord El Melloi II, even commented that the destruction and loss of life was even worse than the previous war. The representative of the Mage Association was the Master of Rider (Iskander, the King of Conquerors) during the 4th war that happened 10 years earlier, and even he was shaken. Still...

Despite all of the pain, suffering, loss, and misery that they had to go through, there was something special, something priceless, which they managed to gain. Not everything was death and loss...

Ding! Dong!

"Saber, could you please open the door?" shouted Shirou, as he poked his head into the dining room.

The blonde female nodded, and went off to open the door, Ilya tagging along beside her...

Soon the dining room was full of visitors...

"Yo," greeted a familiar male voice...

"Good evening, Shirou."

"Sempai..."

Lancer, whose true identity was Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Ulster, and was wearing casual clothes. The Servant with the red spear who was formerly an enemy, and had actually stabbed his weapon through Shirou's heart during their first encounter...

Rin , the school idol and model student, who, as he later discovered, was actually a cold hearted magus (Which also turned out to be also a facade, as the she was actually a kind-hearted person on the inside.), as well as Sakura's biological sister, as well as the one who saved his life after being stabbed by Lancer...

Sakura, Rin's sister, who he had known for almost three years, now the Head of the Matou Family after the death of her adoptive brother and grandfather Shinji and Zouken (officially, at least, but not in spirit)...

"Evening, guys," greeted the red-haired magus. "If you could wait just a bit, it's almost finished... Seyla, could you please serve them some tea?"

The silver-haired female nodded, as she got some teabags out of the drawer, all of which were triangle-shaped ones (Shirou shuddered, as he remembered the killing intent which emanated from Rin Tohsaka, whenever she visited, and discovered that there were no triangle-shaped tea bags available in his house)...

**-BREAK-**

Dinner had been rather quiet, only the sound of china and utensils could heard, and the only words spoken were the occasional 'Please pass the sauce' or 'more rice please.'

Saber and Fuji-nee were indeed, like monsters when it comes to eating. The two had rather bottomless stomachs, and can do so rather quickly and efficiently, although Shirou's blonde Servant and lover managed to retain the elegance in her poise, whereas the teacher failed at the feat. However...

It turned out that even they were no match for the Hound of Ulster, who can devour food at three times as fast as the already incredible rate that Saber and Taiga were at. The first time he joined them for their meal (The time when Rin and Lancer had formed a contract, as the magus had lost her Archer while the Servant of the Spear's Master, the fake priest Kirei Kotomine, was killed by Gilgamesh.), it was a disaster. Cu Chulainn truly deserved one of his titles, 'The Hound of Ulster,' not because of his beast-like prowess in battle, but due to his canine-like eating speed. The group was too busy discussing their plans and course of action against the Witch of Betrayal and the King of Heroes, that they were only eating half-heartedly. When they finally finished and were about to continue with their meal, the food was gone... all gone...

And because of it, they were forced to eat instant noodles, which, after having a bit of the luscious meal that Shirou had prepared, did not taste all that well, not to mention the fact that lack of nutrition might affect their performance in the perilous fights that await them...

Yes, all throughout dinner, everyone was quiet, trying to ensure that they get a satisfactory portion of the meal before all of it was grinded down by the blue-haired spearman. They will not make the same mistake ever again...

**-BREAK-**

"It's been a while, Lancer," stated Saber. "How are you?"

"Oh," replied the blue-haired Servant absentmindedly. "Travelling around the world... getting to know so many people...and these Dead Apostles... yeah, they're good game, not as skilled as you Saber, but more than good enough to keep me from getting bored... and there're many of them out there..." At this a feral grin appeared across Lancer's face. "I'm definitely having the time of my life..."

"I see," replied the blonde-haired former King of Knights. "I'm glad to hear it..."

"Only problem is, I can't even get acquainted with any of the ladies I meet, at least not when she's around, which happens to be almost all of the time..." sighed the Servant of the red spear. "Last time I tried..."

SWOOSH!

CRACK!

"That happened," stated Lancer nervously, who had just dodged something that was aimed for his head.

"Nee-san!" came the voice of Sakura from the kitchens.

"Rin," said Saber sternly, loudly enough for the black-haired female magus to hear, (who was currently in the kitchens doing the dishes along with Sakura), upon seeing the crack on the wall, created by a sharp weapon, a Black Key, which was thrown at the Hound of Ulster. "Could you please refrain from doing that? Much as I sympathize with your predicament, I'd rather not see Shirou's house destroyed..."

"Hey!" growled Lancer, pretending to be upset that the blonde female was not taking his side, but failed, as his face turned into a nervous smile.

"Oh, don't worry Saber," replied the Tohsaka heir coldly. "I'll be sure to repair any damage I cause... just like when I fixed that huge hole in the wall which you created."

"In case you've forgotten Rin," replied the blonde-haired female, and there was the slightest trace of a growl in it. "It was Archer, not me, who was responsible for that..."

The red-haired magus sighed as he watched his companions continue their exchange, wishing that his teacher, Fuji-nee was around, as that would minimize the possibility of his house getting demolished by magic, though unfortunately, the brown-haired female who was like his elder sister had some important matters to attend to.

The Holy Grail War had indeed been a nightmare... no... worse than any nightmare. Still, it was all in the past, and now they had been able to move forward, and continue with their lives.

Sakura was now in officially in charge of Fuyuki City, having taken her sister's place, who was now studying at the Clock Tower of the Mage Association...

Well, officially at least, but in reality, Rin Tohsaka was a double agent. In truth, while she was indeed in the Mage Association, she, as well as her Servant Lancer were also members of the Church's Burial Agency, and the only one who knows about this was Bartolomei Lorelei, the Queen of the Clock Tower, who had given Tohsaka permission to do so. And in fact, half of the time, she was actually out on missions, sometimes with Enforcers, sometimes with members of the 8th Sacrament, sometimes just with her Servant, hunting down Dead Apostles.

They may be powerful, but she did have a Heroic Spirit by her side, as well as having her own natural talent as a magus. Rin and Lancer had actually met Ciel, an incarnation of the Dead Apostle Ancestor Roa, and Meremi, who was a Dead Apostle Ancestor, among the most dangerous and powerful vampires, himself, both of whom had become occasional visitors to the Emiya Household (Ciel, because she simply enjoyed Shirou's cooking, and Meremi, because he found the red-haired magus' abilities, as well as nature, interesting).

In fact, according to Rin, during their first meeting, it had been difficult to keep her Servant (And obviously her lover as well, which is probably why the blue-haired spearman was being restrained by the black-haired female magus from coming into contact with other girls, knowing of his history as a womanizer. She undoubtedly had the upper hand in the relationship. He was hers, and she has apparently made it clear who was in control.) on the leash, as Cu Chulainn, sensing the power of the two entities, could hardly control his urge to challenge and engage them in a fight.

As for Lancer, well, he had never been interested in the Holy Grail, and his only objective was to quench his thirst for battle, so now, hunting down Dead Apostles, the Servant of the red spear couldn't be any happier...

Things had been going rather well for everyone. Shirou's Servant, Arturia Pendragon, the King of Knights, also decided to stay after the 5th Holy Grail War, having fallen in love with the red-haired magus who was her Master, who in turn, had also fallen in love with her. The blonde female preferred that everyone continued calling her by her class, Saber, not because she wanted to hide her identity, but because she wanted to forget about her past, and only think of the present. She now had her second chance at life, finally convinced that her wish to redo things was wrong, that she had done her utmost during her reign as the King of England, and that it was now time to move on, leaving her regrets behind...

Everything was fine. Things were peaceful once again. Together, they will continue moving forward, and will undoubtedly be able to face whatever is in store for them in the future...

"Saber?" inquired Shirou, as the blonde-haired female stood up, carrying a silver-haired girl in her arms, who had fallen asleep on her(Saber's) lap.

"I'm taking Ilya to her room," replied the King of Knights. "She needs rest."

...except for one...

**-BREAK-**

It was two o'clock in the morning. Shirou Emiya was currently standing on top of the roof of his house. For some reason, whenever he wanted to think about something serious, he had gotten the habit of looking up at the stars, on the very spot of where he knew Archer used to stand when he had been keeping watch during the duration of the 5th Holy Grail War.

The red-clad knight's, Archer's identity... in truth, it had come as a surprise, yet at the same time it had not, as if Shirou had already instinctively known who he was, even if his mind did not. For Archer's true identity... was Heroic Spirit Emiya, his future self...

The Servant of the Bow, from the very beginning, even when his identity was not yet known, had openly shown his stance towards his younger self. Although he had never tried to attack him, he hated him, and while he hid and controlled his killing intent and hostility, in respect of his Master, Rin and of their temporary alliance against Ilya and Berserker, Shirou knew that it would be impossible for the two of them to ever get along. The only reason why they were cooperating was due to the fact that the Mad Warrior, whose true identity was Hercules, was overwhelmingly powerful.

And as the days went by, the tension between them was becoming worse. Although they rarely spoke to each other, whenever they did, they always argued when it comes to the same point, when it comes to battle plans and strategies, but more importantly, when it comes to saving people, when it comes to the ideals that they both shared and inherited from their adoptive father, Kiritsugu Emiya. Yes, the ideal of saving everyone was indeed flawed, as well as the ways that can be used to try and go about it. Shirou was against taking innocent lives as much as possible, while his future self did not mind sacrificing those without fault, if it meant that more people would be saved by their deaths. Yes, it was a twisted path, a path without an end, for it was an impossible dream...

Yes, Archer's objective all along was to kill his younger self. He was being patient, due to the fact that having Saber as an ally was useful, but eventually it was what he was going to do. However...

_Flashback_

_"So, Saber is going to disappear?" the red-haired magus asked Rin Tohsaka..._

_"I'm afraid so, Emiya-kun," replied the Tohsaka heiress in an emotionless voice. "She had depleted all her prana when she used her Noble Phantasm to destroy Rider and Assassin. And while she may still have some left, it is just a small amount, a very small amount, and right now she is struggling just to remain in this world. I'm sorry Emiya-kun, but the only way for her to survive is if she were to take the soul of other people..."_

_"Is there really no other way?" inquired Shirou in a quiet voice._

_The female magus did not respond, apparently deep in thought, but the message was clear..._

_"I see," said Shirou, more to himself than to the person he was talking to. "Very well..."_

_A red light began glowing on one of the Command Mantras on his hand..._

_"Saber, by the power of the Command Seal, I order you to..."_

_"Shirou, please don't!" pleaded the King of Knights, as loudly as she could in her state..._

_"But Saber," began Shirou, pausing for a moment, yet his resolve was still there. He was about to proceed giving the order when..._

_"I think I've found another way, Emiya-kun," stated Rin calmly, although a slight tinge of red had appeared on her cheeks as she made her declaration..._

_The glow on the tattoo faded, the first Command Spell unused, for the order was not given..._

_At one corner of the room, a red-clad figure with white hair, who was supposed to be on the roof doing his lookout duty, materialized for a moment, with a look of surprise on his face, before fading back into spirit form..._

_End of Flashback_

Archer noticed something, something which had eventually made him drop the idea of killing his past self...

Yes, he had promised, the red-haired magus had promised his Servant that he would never give her an order which she would hate and make her go against her morals. He had also promised himself that he would try and save as many people as possible. However...

While it was true that Shirou wanted to become a superhero and save everyone, he was unwilling to sacrifice those he truly cared for the most to achieve this goal. If pursuing his ideals meant that he would lose the people he cared for the most, then his ideals can go to hell, for all he cared. That was the one exception...

And the one point, in which he and Archer were in complete agreement. For Archer had sacrificed his friends and loved-ones in pursuit of his ideals, and it was one of his greatest regrets... The one difference, which, for better or for worse, changed everything...

**-BREAK-**

"Her condition is getting worse," said Rin, her voice seemingly monotonous as she checked on the unconscious silver-haired female, but there was a note of worry in it, and whenever that happens, it means that she was very, very worried. "At this rate, she probably has about two weeks left to live... a month at most... Do you really intend to continue with what you are planning? You know what will happen to you if you do..."

"I do," the red-haired magus replied, keeping his voice as calm as he could, before leaving the room and headed out for the small park, the park where he first met Ilya, not as a Master, but as a person...

Archer had fought valiantly, having faced off against Berserker, who had been corrupted by the shadow, and was thus no longer Ilya's Servant, but Medea's slave. In the end, he managed to defeat Hercules, but at a price. True, he managed to take out all twelve of shadow-shrouded Berserker's lives, but he did not come out unscathed. His core was damaged during the fight, as a Shadow managed to sneak up on him, and was barely alive when he had rejoined the group that set out to rescue Sakura.

The plan was successful, and they managed to rescue Rin's unconscious sister, as well as broke her contract with Servant Avenger, but it was not without a price. Caster had already figured out how Sakura's element worked, as well as managed to carve out another vessel for the Holy Grail, taking the spirits of the fallen Servants that Sakura had absorbed as well, and thus no longer needed her.

And Archer came back to them, victorious from his battle, but mortally wounded, and there was nothing they could do...

However, instead of disappearing, something else happened. His soul had not been taken in by either Sakura or Ilya, who were Holy Grails, but neither was it taken in by Caster's vessel... Instead, his essence...

...went into his younger self, Shirou Emiya...

At this point in time, every person in the group already knew of Archer's true identity. However, what happened to him after he disappeared was still unexpected...

Yes, Ilya had already explained it to them. When Servants die, their souls go into the vessel that was prepared for the Holy Grail. However, that was not what happened with Heroic Spirit Emiya. And to add to that, his younger self was not a vessel for the HolyGrail, which means he should have, more or less, been destroyed. Whatever the case, Shirou Emiya should have died.

However, the red-haired magus did not die. True, there was some pain, but it was bearable, much more bearable than it should have been. Perhaps the reason behind it was due to the fact that Shirou still had Avalon implanted inside him, and the contract he had with Saber strengthened its effects, but regardless, with a Heroic Spirit invading your mind and body, the pain he should have experienced should have been far worse, and the sheath would not have been enough to save him...

It was true that Archer and Shirou were originally the same person, but they were not the same person. Both of them have the same Reality Marble, but while they have the same powers, they were fundamentally different. Archer's experiences were different from Shirou's experiences, which meant that their inner worlds were also different. Also, Archer was vastly superior to Shirou, his younger self, in body, mind and soul, who should have been destroyed the moment the Counter Guardian's spirit entered his body...

Instead, they had merged. And there could only be one reason. In the end, their worlds, their ideals, had become so alike, that the two of them had become compatible, and thus, something impossible had become possible. And the one whose inner world went through a drastic change... was Archer's, who was swayed by Shirou's actions, and instead of him influencing his younger self, it went the other way around...

And because of this, Shirou had gained access to the vast amount of knowledge, memories and experience that Heroic Spirit Emiya accumulated throughout his life, not all of it, just a portion, but everything that was related to his magecraft, swordsmanship, and Reality Marble was there. Not only that, his Magic Circuits had fused with Shirou's own, who had thus gained all of his abilities, as well as the improved od capacity...

And with it, Shirou Emiya was able to defeat the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, when they faced each other during the final day of the war...

_"Please save Ilya..."_

These were the last words, the last request, which Archer has spoken to Shirou as their spirits merged, before the Counter-Guardian's consciousness left the plane of existence, trusting and believing that his younger self would be able to do what he had failed to accomplish...

Shirou was not sure exactly what kind of relationship Archer had with Ilya, whether it was as a lover, as a parent, or as a brother, for the memories he saw were vague and incomplete, but the red-haired magus had seen enough to know that Ilya was the person his future self had cared for the most. Yes, he had seen it, how Archer, who looked exactly like Shirou did (with red hair) at the time, desperately tried to find a way to save Ilya, to no avail. He had failed miserably, and the silver-haired female perished...

Yes, that was the one wish which Heroic Spirit Emiya had, aside from his desire to save everyone and ending his own existence... yet that one simple wish had been denied...

In truth, Shirou loved the young-looking girl with silver-haired like a little sister, even though she was actually older than him. Yes, she may look like a child, but she was actually Shirou's older sister, though not by blood...

It must have been painful, really painful, for Archer, to be unable to do anything to save her... But now, there was a way. His younger self, on whom he had pinned his hopes on, had found a way to do what he was unable to do...

Yes, it was difficult. For even with the effect of Avalon, which Shirou, with Saber's consent, had now placed inside Ilya, he knew that it would not be enough. For the silver-haired female's body had been experimented with too much, that even with the power of the sheath, her lifespan would not be increased by much. Even though Avalon greatly increased regeneration, which was the reason why Shirou had managed to survive after receiving body-splitting and fatal blows during the Holy Grail War, it still would not be enough...

There was only one way to save her...

Shirou Emiya had already made his decision. His resolve will not waver. Two months before, he had already informed Saber about what he was planning to do, and it had actually resulted in Shirou receiving the most powerful slap he had ever had in his lifetime, before the King of Knights (which was out of character for her) cried on his chest...

Still, in the end, the blonde female agreed, for even she had grown fond of Ilya, who was actually now just as attached to Saber as she was to Shirou...

And the only one who did not know about his plan was Ilya...

Yes, Shirou knew it was for the best. It was the least he could do, not just to honour Archer's wish, but also to make it up to the girl, the girl who Shirou had grown to love like a little sister (even though she was actually older), the girl who had to grow up and suffer alone, lonely and unloved, for he stole her father away from her...

He knew she would not agree, he knew Ilya would be upset, but Shirou was sure that everything would be fine. Even if he was gone, Saber and the others would be there for her. Yes, everything would be fine. Ilya would not be alone. They will be able to move on and continue moving forward without him...

...

If only he knew what was going to happen once he was gone, but he did not. Shirou did not have the slightest clue of what was in store for them in the future, as he vanished from the plane of existence.

Shirou did not know that they were mistaken when they thought they had destroyed the Grail, for they have not, nor did he know that it had accumulated so much power, that the 6th and final Heaven's Feel would occur in three years' time, or that it would be the bloodiest and most tragic Holy Grail War of all six, much worse than the one he had experienced...

And he did not know that his companions, every single one of them, every single person that had ever meant anything to him, would die in that War, even though they did succeed in destroying the Grail...

* * *

**AUTHORS' NOTES**

Now, this particular chapter, is actually the same as the special chapter from my other fic, with a few differences, but overall it's the same. Now, normally I would not post this here as well, but it's important, since this particular story is actually a standalone on its own, and is important for the readers to be able to better understand my story. And particularly, the most important part will be related to Naruto's true identity, as well as the reason why the Uzumaki vowed never to do the same things that were done by his past self, especially his crime of abandoning a certain someone. Once you read this, you will be able to understand the story better, I assure you.

Of course, the other reason why I posted this here is because according to the reviews and PM-s I received, it would seem as if none went through it as I had hoped, and I believe it is a waste if you did not read this, since this gives more or less an overview of the Fifth Holy Grail War they experienced. Also, this will be related to at least three more future fanfics which I intend to write later.

Besides, I doubt I will be able to write down a summary of things that's as good as this one.

Anyway, I am already working on the next chapter, although I am quite busy I'm doing my best to find time for it, and it will probably be up in a week.

And like always, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter...

Later then, people...


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20: HEROIC SPIRIT EMIYA**

(? POV)

In a not very populated area in Konoha, hidden in the shadows, was the figure of a person, his face hidden by his hood. However, if one were too look closely, despite the fact that it was shrouded, one would notice the nervous twitch that was playing on suspicious person's lips.

After a while, something approached the hooded figure...a brown-patterned slithering creature...

...a snake, about four feet in length, and as thick as a small garden hose... and based from its pattern, it was a non poisonous kind... for it was a suffocation type... a boa constrictor...

However, it was not just any ordinary snake. For while it was true that such kinds of serpent were quite common, there was no common snake which had the ability to suddenly appear in a puff of smoke, and there is most definitely no ordinary serpent which can directly talk with people, and speak the human language.

"_**Report,"**_ said the snake in a hissing voice, as it stared at the person it was talking to, and who had picked it up, straight in the eyes...

The man, who now had the snake coiled in his hands, trembled nervously, thankful that said snake was not of the poisonous kind. For the tidings he would be bring his master...

...was not good news...

"Please forgive us, Orochimaru-sama," began the man nervously, gulping, as he felt the snake's grip on his arm tighten, its forked tongue moving dangerously faster. "We have failed to capture the Uchiha girl."

The place had suddenly become tensely silent, only broken by the low hissing sounds that was coming from the snake...

Finally, it was the serpent itself which broke the silence...

"_**You were discovered?"**_ said the snake finally in an angry hissing voice, as its grip on the hooded person's limb tightened even further, that the man could swear that the blood vessels on his arm were beginning to pop. _**"I swear, Sarutobi-sensei just keeps getting in my w..."**_

"It wasn't the Sandaime, Orochimaru-sama," stated another voice, as another hooded figure appeared from the shadows. Unlike the other person, however, he was eerily calm, and even had the nerve to interrupt his master who was still ranting.

"_**Ah, Kabuto,"**_ hissed the serpent in a musing voice, as it turned its gaze towards the new arrival. _**"Did you manage to complete the mission I have given you?"**_

"I have," replied the man, his silver hair barely visible because of his hood, yet his glasses were still considerably noticeable, reflecting the moonlight as he adjusted it. Then, he handed a scroll over to the boa constrictor... which the serpent swallowed in one gulp.

"_**Excellent,"**_ hissed the serpent with a pleased note in its voice, after it swallowed the piece of parchment that it was given. _**"I will be reading your report later."**_

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama," replied the young man, bowing to the snake as he did so.

"_**And now to other matters..."**_ hissed the slithering creature. _**"Kabuto, what did you mean when you said that my old teacher wasn't involved in hindering plans?"**_ The insane tone was back in its voice, as its head turned back towards the other hooded figure, who was now trembling in fear.

"It is exactly as I said," began Kabuto, as he looked at the serpent straight in the eyes. "When the Hokage arrived at the scene, it was all over. The shinobi you sent were defeated, not by the Sandaime nor his ANBU, but rather, they were taken down by the Uchiha girl and her companions. The predators were taken down by their prey, Orochimaru-sama. I believe he is the only survivor." At this, the silver-haired man turned to face the person beside him, but before he could so, he heard a soft thud, for the man had fallen to the ground... dead... from constriction and suffocation...

"_**Was the only survivor,"**_ the master, through his serpent familiar corrected his apprentice, as said familiar wrapped itself around Kabuto's heels.

"Isn't that a bit excessive my lord?" inquired the silver-haired spy, as he looked at the corpse near his feet.

"_**Do not question my actions, Kabuto,"**_ hissed the serpent, and from the tone of its voice, it was apparent that the master was angry, yet also amused at the same time, in a twisted sort of way. _**"They have already outlived their usefulness. I have given them one last chance to redeem themselves. It was such an easy task, and yet they still failed to do so."**_

"Perhaps, Orochimaru-sama," replied Kabuto, and whether or not he was intimated, no one could tell. for his face remained impassive. "However, would it not have been better if you first acquired information from him, like what it was that caused them to fail their mission? As far as I can tell, the three kids they faced were no pushovers..."

"_**Kukuku... so you were there to witness it when it happened?"**_ hissed Orochimaru in a chuckling voice through his snake, as he looked at his apprentice straight in the eye.

"No, Master Orochimaru," began Kabuto slowly, as he realized his error, carefully picking the words to use, for he could tell what his master was implying. After all, if he had seen the whole thing, why did he not help at all? "To tell you the truth, I was not there to witness what happened, I only arrived in time to see exactly what the Hokage himself saw. What I told you before were the exact words that Gin, your subordinate that you just killed, had told me, and he had not yet told me anything useful, aside from seeing flying swords. The battle was already over when I got there. However..."

At this, the silver-haired spy once again produced a scroll, copying with a jutsu before handing one over to the snake, which it automatically swallowed, while he opened the other one for his master, through his familiar's eyes to see...

"_**What is this, my young apprentice?" **_inquired the Snake Sennin, as he read what was written on the scroll.

"This is a detailed report of the Jr. Shinobi Survival Challenge, a tournament that had been recently held by Konoha," stated Kabuto. "Along with my own personal assessment and evaluation of their skills."

Silence reigned in the area for a while, as the Snake Sannin, through his familiar's eyes, carefully scanned the document...

"_**Kukuku... so the quality of shinobi education in Konoha is going to the dumps just as I thought..."**_ stated Orochimaru, as the snake turned its gaze from the scroll then back to the face of the person who was holding it. _**"Still, I must admit, I find some of them quite interesting... so much potential, yet it is hindered by the very institution that is supposed to help them harness it..."**_

"However, Orochimaru-sama," stated Kabuto, addressing his master. "Like I said before, what is written in that report is based on my own judgment, which is why..."

"_**I believe that it's bound to be accurate,"**_ the master cut his apprentice off in praise of the latter. _**"You have never failed me before, and you have my full trust and confidence when it comes to these kind of things...However, I can sense someone approaching, as I'm sure you also noticed so we must end our conversation for now. Do not forget to report to me if there is any new development..."**_

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama," replied Kabuto, as he bowed before the snake, which had now removed itself from his legs and was now slithering away...

"_**Oh... and do not forget to dispose of the garbage..." **_stated Orochimaru, the snake turning back to its trusted apprentice for a moment, referring to the corpse of his former subordinate, before vanishing in a puff of smoke...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

It had been, as far as Naruto was concerned, the worst experience he had ever had in his entire life.

He had been beaten to a pulp, stabbed with a knife, pummelled into submission, bullied, starved, outcasted, abandoned. He had experienced just about every kind of pain and suffering that the people of Konoha, who had once hated him with every fiber of his being, could come up with.

Yes, they truly were painful and traumatic experiences. However, he managed to get past them, to get past the and suffering, to continue moving, and it was all thanks to his best friend, who had remained by his side no matter what, and supported him...

Yet now, that very person, who had been his light, who had given him hope... was dying... she had been hurt, mortally wounded, in her attempt to save his life... the blonde-haired boy knew it without a doubt... it was all his fault... and to make matters worse, there was nothing he could to help her... He was completely and utterly useless...

That he was going to die did not really bother him that much, for Naruto never really had a sense of self... never really saw himself as part of the equation...

She was going to die... that was what had truly caused him grief... For the girl, whose name was Haruno Sakura, was his best friend, the person who he admired, the person who he liked, and also... the person he cared about the most in the world...

And Sakura's death, as far as Naruto was concerned, would be the same, or even worse, than his own demise...

And because of this, Naruto had been in a daze, in a trance, completely losing hope...completely losing the will to stay alive... she was gone... Sakura was gone... he had nothing left to live for...

'_**Trace on...'**_

Yes, he had felt it. For some reason, his chakra was acting strangely, as the energy had begun moving all on its own. However... Naruto did not care... Why should he? After all, Sakura was dead... Naruto wanted to die...

'_**Set...'**_

And if his chakra system was going haywire, then good... it would only make the process faster...

'_**Continuous FIRE!'**_

Yes, he saw it. Their assailants, taken completely by surprise, were taken out by the rain of swords, and Naruto knew it had something to do with his chakra going out of control... Instantly impaling four of them, while the lucky one who was a bit further back managed to dodge in time... and he had actually fled... Perhaps the reason behind this was the fact that the old man had arrived, for the Sandaime, along with half a dozen ANBU, appeared a few moments later...

However, Naruto did not really care about these things, and he had hardly been paying attention.

"Naruto, are you alright?" inquired the Hokage, his voice full of worry.

The blonde-haired boy, however, did not respond. For his thoughts were focused on something else...

And as the ANBU check on one of his friends, Tenten, Naruto was glad that she was alright. Yes, he also cared about her bun-haired friend, but the fact that she was okay was not enough to bring him out of his grief.

For Sakura, the person he cared about most in the world ...

...was gone...

Weary, fatigued, and without any strength left, physically and emotionally, the blonde-haired boy, unable to cope with what happened, slumped to the ground, as the darkness consumed him...

**-BREAK-**

(Naruto POV)

When he opened his eyes, a certain blonde-haired boy found himself standing in a vast landscape... a barren hill, which was littered by a countless number of swords... And in the sky above, large, turning gears could be seen, while the smoke from steel manufacturing process shrouded the sky and the horizon... However, shocking though such a scene would be to others, it did not really surprise the young Uzumaki so much. After all, he had been having visions of this place all his life...

Still, while he was indeed used to it, no matter how many time he had this dream, he still could not help but be awed, in admiration, at the hill. For it was not only a place that was full of weapons. No, the landscape that was littered with swords, was also a reflection of the soul of whoever created it, of that he was sure of...

But still, the collection of weaponry was indeed impressive. And just like had done before, the blonde-haired boy pulled out a couple of swords from the ground... a pair black and white falchion white swords which were his favourite among all the weapons he had seen. Even though there were many that far surpassed their abilities, he still preferred the pair above all the others...

Still, as he looked at the weapons in his hands, the blonde-haired boy could not help but feel uneasy this time around. He could not put a finger around it, but the young Uzumaki could not shake off the feeling that something was different, that something was amiss...

"?!"

Whooosh

Clang

And apparently, he was right...

'_**Tch... I missed...'**_

"Wha..."

Even though it was supposed to be just a dream, he realized, that he had felt it... the sword in his hand, the pressure, pain and tension of his muscles, when he deflected the blade that was sent flying at him...

It had felt so real, so similar, yet at the same time so different, to the many times that he had been there... But what was truly different this around was the fact that...

...true, he had seen other people in his visions, including those of a hill of swords... However, this time around...

'_**Not bad kid, not bad at all,'**_ mused a voice, which was half-mocking, yet half praising at the same time.

The blonde haired boy could not help but be stunned, as he stared in shock, for in front of him...

...was a familiar white-haired man clad in red. The man who was a hero, who had fought for the sake of his ideals... the man, who he had constantly seen in his dreams and visions...

...except that this time around... unlike the many times that he had seen him...

...the man was not just a mere memory or vision, for he was now staring straight at the blonde-haired boy with his steely eyes...

He did not know why, but Naruto knew for sure...

...that he was really here...

"Archer," breathed Naruto, recalling what he had been called by his companions from his dreams, as he stared back at the man, who smiled in response...

"?!"

Temporarily forgetting everything else, the young Uzumaki barely had time to think, to act, or dodge, as all kinds of blades began raining down on him...

**-BREAK-**

(Archer POV)

Clang

Clang

Clang

Whoosh

Clang

Clang

Crack!

A certain blonde-haired boy was cursing, as he threw away the weapons that he had in his hands, for they were now useless, battered, broken, unable to

Life...or in his case, existence... was definitely a bitch. That was one thing a white-haired man clad in red, knew for sure.

He had been used, time and time again, as his contractor's, Alaya's, favourite plaything. Since his wish, which was to save everyone, was impossible, the world, as far as Archer was concerned, has found a way to turn this into her (Archer believes Alaya should be a she since she was such a bitch) own personal amusement. Well, he knew that this wasn't true (though he couldn't help but think that way), and even if it was, he didn't really have any proof. All the knight clad in red knew that he had been suffering... for he was always summoned to crises and calamities, when everything was hopeless.

He wanted to see everyone in the world happy?

Well, he was granted just the opposite. Wherever he was sent, all he saw were people dying and in despair.

This time, however, it was different. He knew that whatever predicament he was in, Alaya, his contractor... or rather, his original's contractor, was not at fault... for as he noticed, for some reason, he no longer had any connection with his self in the Throne of Heroes. For unlike normal heroes, Archer was a Counter Guardian, and therefore, while he himself would disappear if he died, his memories and knowledge should supposedly be constantly flowing to the archives in the Throne from the time he was summoned to his death or the end of his mission. However, such a connection no longer existed, and the (former) Counter-Guardian knew that there could only be one explanation for that... he had already become an independent, separate existence from the one in the Throne. Whether or not he was still a Heroic Spirit, he did not know. All he knew for sure that whatever it was that happened, he, at least, was free from his contract with Alaya...

For he had been bound to someone else instead... and that someone else...

...was Uzumaki Naruto, whose true identity was...

From the distance, a scream could be heard, as a blonde-haired boy was doing everything he could from being skewered by the swords that were being rained down upon...

...did not seem to be faring any better than Archer, and it seems as if fate itself was against him...

As Archer later found out, due to their strong connection (he actually had a strong connection to his younger self, Emiya Shirou... or, as he was undoubtedly reincarnated, or perhaps brainwashed, sent to another dimension and deaged... whatever the case, it did not matter, for the red-haired young man now had blonde hair, and he was ten years old, and now went by the name Uzumaki Naruto), that the bad luck that he had still followed him wherever he went. Not only Archer... it seemed like ill fate and fortune followed the existence known as Emiya Shirou, wherever he went.

And did he just think that Alaya was not at fault? Well, even if she didn't have a hand in this, it doesn't change the fact that the world really seemed to hate his/their existence...

However, it was not the time to dwell on that. Archer did indeed have access to the mind of the soul he was formerly fused with. Yes, Archer knew for sure now, that this was him... the version of himself, who was the exact reflection of his true self, both his mind of steel and his heart. However, what he could not understand is why he had appeared again, when he was supposed to have vanished from existence... and most especially, since reincarnation was supposed to have made it even less likely.

Perhaps it was due to his experiences in this new world. For indeed, as Archer looked at the mindscape, which was also their Reality Marble, he could already note some differences. And the most significant one of all...

Was the presence of a strange circular marking in the sky... black clouds, which were shaped like a magic circle of some sort. True, it was almost not visible due to it being almost wisp-like, but Archer still noticed it... and it was different from the one being emitted by the gears of the Reality Marble. Not only that, but the Heroic Spirit could not help but feel that there was something... something very powerful... beyond it...

There were plenty of things that Archer needed to know. However, for him to be able to do that, he would first need to capture the blonde-haired boy, who, to Archer's annoyance, was doing a pretty damn good job not getting caught, and instead was actually risking himself getting killed. Yes, the rain of swords was only meant to incapacitate, not kill. However, the boy, who had undoubtedly mistaken it as a murder attempt (although if he were in Naruto's shoes, Archer would probably assume the same), was weaving through it, thus increasing the chance of getting impaled instead of just getting trapped.

Since it was just their mindscape, as Archer knew with certainty, he was unsure if killing the boy would truly kill him. However, as he himself (Archer) did feel pain when the boy managed to scratch him on the arm with a thrown kunai (which made the man clad in red curse himself for getting careless), he had assumed that it was a possibility, and thus mortally injuring him, even in the mind, was not an option. For while Archer hated his past self before, it was no longer the case, and thus he would not risk it. Well... maybe he still disliked him a lot, but not to a point that he wanted him hurt.

After all, from the memories Archer had seen of Shirou Emiya (It was difficult, but Archer, with a lot effort, was able to access the blonde's memories without said person noticing), his younger self had indeed earned his, the future's self full approval... well, almost complete approval.

Yes, he had prioritized his loved ones over his ideals. He had lived his life protecting his friends and family, prioritizing them over everybody else. And most of all, he had actually sacrificed himself, so that the person who Archer had cared for most in the world would be saved. However, it was also this particular action, which had somehow pissed off the (former) Counter Guardian, and it was due to the fact that a certain someone else had been gravely hurt and had to suffer because of his death.

However, catching him was extremely difficult. While it was true that Archer had kept his eyes on the blonde all of the time, and had not given any chance to breathe, he was proving quite the challenge. Three times already, just when he thought that he was finally caught, the boy would suddenly turn into a puff of smoke, Shadow Clones. Even with his enhanced senses and eyesight, the boy still managed to fool him Not only that, but he was surprisingly fast and nimble for his age, and even though Archer knew, from the flashes of memory, that it was due to the kind of society they were in, as well as the strange form of magic he was using, called jutsu, it was still very annoying...

"Gah!" cried the blonde-haired boy, as the sword rain finally caught up with him, and was now pinned to the ground (although not fatally wounded) by at least a dozen swords.

Still, that did not mean that he could escape Archer forever. After all, he was Heroic Spirit Emiya, the embodiment of the blonde's (in his previous life) heroic ideals, as well as the end of the road, and thus was at his speak, at the height of power that he (in his previous life) could reach. He had plenty of battle experiences, and it did not take Archer long (especially since reading the Uzumaki's memory helped) to familiarize himself with the boy's fighting style, techniques, and the like (and Archer was actually inclined to try and learn more about said techniques to add to his own stock), and thus managed to catch him in the end, surrounding him in a prison of swords...

However, even though he was caught, Archer knew that there was still a high probably the blonde would escape... which was why he immediately traced chains... Enkidu, the weapon that was used by his hated enemy, Gilgamesh, to bind the Bull of Heaven. True, Naruto did not have the blood of a Divine within him, but the chains were still too strong for any normal human to break free from. And Archer tied the blonde-haired boy with it, separating his hands, making sure that he could not make any handseals, which Archer knew was essential for him to perform his brand of magic. Without it, he was basically helpless... well almost, but the chance was nil. Archer knew that the blonde-haired boy already had a grasp of his magecraft, but it was something which he had not yet mastered, and therefore it would not really help him that much...

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! DATTEBAYO!" screamed the blonde haired boy named Uzumaki Naruto, who Archer knew, just like himself, was formerly known as Emiya Shirou... except that they were two different versions, two different, yet very extremely similar versions of the same person... desperately clawing on the ground, as he was dragged across the field of swords by his ankles...

'_**Tch! Shut up kid, or I might change my mind about not killing you,'**_ said Archer in a growl like voice, feeling irritated at the blonde-haired boy's annoying rants. Unlike many times in the past that he had said these words, however, this time, he never really meant it, for he never really intended to kill Naruto from the beginning.

Yes, life was certainly a bitch, and was far from being simply daisies and butterflies... especially for distorted people like him... like them... Still...

That did not mean that everything about life was bad either.

And as he looked at the blonde-haired boy on the ground, whose true identity Archer knew, the Counter Guardian could not help but pity, yet admire (but also annoyed and irritated) him at the same time...

Pity, at the kind of childhood he had to endure. Archer had not yet seen everything, but from the few glimpses he had, he knew that the boy had grown up an orphan... alone, hated, unwanted. Even in this life, fate simply never seemed to see fit to show him even a bit of sympathy when it comes to this... and in fact, as far as Archer was concerned, his experiences was probably just as bad, or even worse, than being the only survivor of a massive fire that was became a living hell... and growing up hated by everyone around was in itself, another version of hell...

And for this reason Archer could not help but admire the boy and his unwavering optimistic attitude. For despite everything he had to endure, he had not lost hope, and continued moving forward, and eventually, having a positive outlook did pay off for him...

'_**Dattebayo, huh?'**_ muttered Heroic Spirit Emiya to himself, who could not help but snicker, at the verbal tick which has apparently been acquired by his other version.

Yes, while he will never admit it openly, the Counter Guardian had already decided, and he was determined to help the boy, for the path that he was currently taking, was a path which Archer not only approved of...

...but also a path which he himself wanted to take. For now, however...

'_**I'm going to ask you a few questions,'**_ stated the white-haired man, as he stared at the blonde-haired boy that was grovelling at his feet, uselessly struggling against the chains that were binding him.

**-BREAK-**

_It was nighttime. The world was quiet and at peace in Fuyuki, as the people turned off their lights to tuck in to their beds._

_In another location however, near the edge of the location, things were exactly the opposite. A fierce battle was occurring... which was the very reason why the people had been able to safely sleep in their beds that night._

_For on the outskirts of the skirt, hundreds of people were marching... well, 'former people' would be the better term to coin them with. For in reality, these people..._

_...were no longer alive... they were nothing but mindless, bloodsucking corpses, that had been raised to do their master's bidding... And they had been tasked to attack Fuyuki and turn everyone there, in order for the being who controls them to increase the numbers of his army._

_Clang_

_Whooosh_

_Boom_

_And despite the grave danger, against all odds, there were four people who were facing off against them..._

_Boom_

"_Crap. Is there no end to them?"_

_...a woman with black hair and blue-green eyes, who was holding expensive jewels on one hand which exploded the moment she threw them at the oncoming host, while holding three long thin blades, Black Keys, with the other..._

_Pierce_

"_That's kill number one hundred and three. Damn it, Saber's still ahead of me."_

_...a tall, blue-haired man with red eyes, with a feral grin on his face, undoubtedly enjoying himself, as he drove his red spear into his enemy, which dropped to the ground, before burning it to ashes with his runes..._

_Slash_

"_For the last time Lancer, I'm not playing your game. The lives of innocent people are at stake here so take things seriously."_

_...a petite, blonde-haired girl with green eyes, who was holding an invisible weapon in her hand..._

"_Caladbolg..."_

_A thin streak of light passed through the air..._

_Boom_

_Before it exploded, creating something similar to a miniature sun, incinerating the mass of zombies that were too close to the explosion..._

"_That's kill one hundred and thirty seven for me. You know, if I were you Lancer, I would pick up the pace..."_

_...a silver-haired girl with green eyes, who was holding a bow in her hand..._

"_Honestly, Ilya," sighed the blonde-haired female, as she looked at the girl who she saw like a sister and daughter, who was standing on higher ground than the rest of them... an ideal spot for sniping and shooting projectiles. _

"_Oh, come on now, Saber nee-san, try and lighten up a bit," said the silver-haired girl in a cheerful tone. "You might get wrinkles like Rin over there if you don't. And also..."_

_At these words, a tick mark appeared on said person's face, and the silver-haired girl's eyes widened, as she saw three Black Keys flying her way..._

_If one did not know these four, they would probably believe that the black-haired girl was trying to kill her. In truth, however..._

"_?!"_

_The weapons were not aimed at Ilya, but rather, at the bloodsuckers which had somehow managed to sneak up on her, and were now lying on the ground, slowly turning into dust..._

"_I hope you don't expect me to thank you for that, RIn," said the girl cheerfully. "I would have been able to take care of them myself." In truth, however, she was actually saying thank you._

"_I'm not," replied the black-haired female flatly. In reality though, it was her way of saying your welcome._

_Yes, the night was not turning out that badly. Even though it was full moon, which meant that the bloodsuckers were at the height of their strength, they were still able to handle them, and now, their numbers had been reduced by half. If they keep this up..._

"_So you were the ones who've been meddling with my plans," growled a voice._

_As she heard these words, a blonde-haired girl could not help but curse inwardly at her carelessness. Despite her very reliable instinct, she had not been able to sense him approach, and it would seem as if his Presence Concealment, for someone who was not a Servant, was on par with the Assassin Class._

"_Crap."_

_And now she was at his mercy. For the Dead Apostle, who was undoubtedly responsible for the mess, now had his blade directly beneath Rin's throat, and there was nothing Saber could do. None of them would make it in time. Still, she had to try..._

"_Hmmm... you are quite skilled," said the vampire, who was licking his lips, as he slowly brought it nearer to the girl's neck. "You would definitely make a fine addition to my army."_

"_AAAARGH!"_

_Soon a loud scream of pain and agony echoed throughout the area. However..._

_It did not belong to their black-haired friend._

"_RIN!"_

_The blonde-haired female, who had been feeling worried a moment before, could not help but sigh in relief, as Lancer caught his lover in his arms, whose knees had given way because of the experience, as well as fatigue, while the Dead Apostle who assaulted her..._

_Had been incapacitated... he had been disabled, and was now wrapped..._

_... in red-orange tails, which were slowly and painfully crushing him..._

"_Who... wha... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! AAARGH! NO!"_

_Soon enough, the Dead Apostle, who had been responsible for the death of countless innocents, was eliminated, as a hand rammed a black spiralling sphere of energy into its heart... an extremely powerful ball of energy, for nothing was left of the target that it was used on._

_Now all they have to do was take care of the remaining mindless zombies... and compared to an enemy that could think, they were easy pickings..._

"_You're late," commented Saber, as she glared at the one who helped them, before giving her a warm smile, for she knew that the person had been fighting on her way to get to them..._

"_**Sorry about that, Saber-chan," **__replied the woman with red-orange hair and piercing red eyes, which were similar in a way yet different to Lancer's... for hers were much gentler._

"_**I was lost on the road of life..."**_

**-BREAK-**

(Sakura POV)

'_**Sakura...'**_

"?"

A pink-haired girl, who goes by the name Haruno Sakura, slowly opened her eyes as she regained consciousness. Seeing that the world around her was mostly white... she was able to tell exactly where she was...

"A dream," whispered Sakura to herself, as she recalled the memory which she dreamt of while she was asleep.

...at the Hidden Leaf Village hospital...

"?!"

In an instant, the pink-haired girl became fully awake, as she recalled the events which transpired that day... the trap... the ambush... enemies...

However, before she could do so, she found herself unable to leave her bed, as a pair of hands on her shoulders prevented her from doing so...

"Calm down, child," said the head nurse, Keiko as she gently compelled her to lie down. "You need to rest."

"But my friends..." began Sakura, but the woman cut her off.

"They're fine," she replied, as she gestured towards the other two beds in the room, on which a blonde-haired boy and a black-haired girl were currently sleeping. "They're lives are no longer in danger."

Upon hearing this, the pinkette could not help but she sighed in relief, and thus allowed herself to calm down.

"You should get some rest," said the nurse, before she left the room to attend to the other patients.

Yes, Sakura now remembered what it was that happened. They had been ambushed, by a group of shinobi who were undoubtedly professionals and skilled at what they do. And because of it, because of her careless... her friends almost lost their lives...

'_**Sakura...'**_

'_Kurama?'_ the pinkette responded in her thoughts, and the next thing she knew, she was in her mindscape, on the grassy hill where her friend was waiting for her...

'_**Sakura... glad to see you're still alive...'**_ stated the fox in a mocking tone...

At this, the pinkette could not help but frown at the kitsune's greeting. Still, knowing her well enough, Sakura knew that this was simply her awkward way of showing concern for others... For Kurama was not one to show her true emotions, especially concern and worry, freely, and she always tried to hide it...

For unknown to the kitsune, Sakura actually knew what happened. For even though she could not move, she had felt it, the grief and desperation that enveloped Kurama when she thought that her friend was going to die... For Sakura felt it... her kindness, her concern... her true heart...

Still, as Sakura looked at the kitsune straight in the eye, she knew... she could tell, that Kurama wanted something, and the pinkette knew...

...that the kitsune was looking for answers...

It was time to tell her the truth...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Alright, another chapter out. Yeah, it's not easy writing this one, since I was trying hard to find the best way to portray the events. I hope it's good enough.

Anyway, I had just been reading the other fanfics on this site and I've gotta admit I'm impressed. I especially like the one titled Fake Dreams and the one called Path of the King, both of which are FSN fics. And the reason why I like them is because even though the 5th Holy Grail War and the setting is the same, the canon events are unlikely to happen... its a whole new story all on its own, unlike some fics I've read which followed the same stuff with a bit of change in the character and powers, but the flow is still the same.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...


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